ONIONS AND POTATOES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20621, 21 July 1930, Page 5

ONIONS AND POTATOES.

PLAN TO RESTRICT IMPORTS

VIEWPOINT OF A GROWER. The proposal id rfstn.-t the importation of potatoes and onion?, ma do at a m feting of Pukn!:ri)io growcv=, is discussed by " l'tikc!;o!if Grower " in a letter to the llerai.d.

'"The .Auckland pieduce grower whose remarks appear in Tuesday's Herald in criticism of the. l'akekohe growers' proposals evidently does not appreciate the aim of the proposals."' he writes. " Their purpose is only that Neu Zealand produce shall he .sold in New Zealand for whatever price it will ?<rir) tr, hut. that demoralising 01 price by importations should not lie permitted. This can he attained ill the case of potatoes and onions by prohibiting importations as long as New Zealand-produced are less than £l2 a. ton in New Zealand and by insisting that any onions am! potatoes imported shail not he sole! at less than £l2 a ton. If the price in Canada went to £l2 a ton Canada would still buy onions in New Zealand at £6 a ton, or less, when at that pric-?. These onions would cost another £7 to £9 to transport and land in Canada, making the cost in Canada over £l2. Similarly, if short of localgrctwn, with the result that the price went to £l2, New Zealand could buy in Canada or Australia at £6 or less a ton. Transport and landing charges would again bring the cost to about £l2. Ihe law of supply and demand would still act freely within eafli country in fixing the price of local grown from day to day. "What the growers here are afraid of is over-importations in our off-season, with a large carry-over lasting right through our onion season here. I his obviously occurred last season. The grower does not mind tho importation of requirements in our off-season, but we object to largo carry-overs, and also Into shipments of Australian onions arriving in January, just when we. start harvesting our own onions. A good motto is to buy New Zealand-made goods and also eat New Zealand < r rown produce. About 12 months itco potatoes had risen in price to £2B pel ton in Australia, while v.e had potatoes in New Zealand to burn. but ~ur potatoes could ii"t be exported to Australia. Why? Because their slnnneut Diseases Act was used to shut out supplies. , , " Now, if v;e had had reciprocal agreement of over Cl2 per ton in each countiy ar)( | fair Diseases Acts, (he growers in this country would have cleared out all .surplus supplies, which would have been -i boon to Lhe urowers here and the. consumers in. Australia Our aim is to protect each country's growers from dumping when the price is less than £l2 a ton. Common sense should be enough to convince anybody that to buy produce from overseas while your own country can supply it ft a reasonable price is bad policy" •