FOOD RESERVOIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24851, 24 March 1944, Page 5

FOOD RESERVOIR

HOLE FOB PUKEKOHE NEED FOR MORE VEGETABLES (0.C.) PUKEKOHE. Thursday "I can see Pukekohe as a food reservoir for the Auckland Province and, at difficult periods of the year, for the Taraitaki, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Wellington districts," said Mr. A. H. Honeyfield, Auckland manager of the Internal Marketing Division, when launching a campaign in Pukekohe last night for increased production of fresh vegetables. Officers of the Works, Agriculture and Defence Construction Departments and representatives of Auckland machinery importers and manufacturers and seedsmen were present and about 150 growers, including five from Katikati. Mr. M. McDougall presided. Mr. Honeyfield said there had never been a period in the history of the Dominion when the production of greater supplies of foodstuffs had been so urgently needed. The overall requirements of vegetables for civilians, armed forces in New Zealand and the Pacific and for processing plants had reached astronomical figures, and a special effort 011 the part of all was required. The Department of Agriculture, said Mr. Honevlield, was growing GOOO acres of fresh vegetables to cover demands from the fighting forces in New Zealand ami the Pacific. The demand would continue to grow monthly. The department's acreage had made no provision for dehydration, canning, quick-freeze or the manufacture of sauerkraut, and was, in fact, several thousand acres short of the actual fresh vegetable requirements for the armed forces. The job of the commercial grower was, therefore, to provide sufficient basic and non-basic vegetables for the

civilians, to grow sufficient extra acreage to supplement the department s production and to cover the total requirements of the processing plant at 1 ukekohe with such vegetables as carrots, cabbage, parsnips, beetroot, peas, beans and spinach. • The department was prepared to enter into fresli contracts for an increased acreage or an entirely new acreage, said Mr. Honey field. Later, in answer to a question, lie stated that the contract prices for 19-15 would lie the same as for 1914. With regard to housing, Mr. H. Butcher, representing the Commissioner of Works, said that a system was being formulated to enable the grower to have a hutment erected on his property at a rental which would enable him to become the owner of the hutment at the end of a period of three years. Mr. Spencer, representing the machinery importers, assured the growers that everything possible was being done to expedite the delivery of orders to meet their requirements. He urged them to place their implement needs through the ordinary channels forthwith and a committee in Wellington would take up the matter with the Ministry of Supply. Mr. F. W. Yates, representing the seedsmen, assured the growers that the seed position had greatly improved and that indications pointed to an ample simply for all needs. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the speakers for having a heart-to-heart talk with the growers and enlightening them on some of the burning -questions of the day as affecting their industry. LIQUOR ON TRAIN (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday A medical student. Stewart Windon Agnew, was lined by Mr. S. L. l'aterson, S.M.. to-day, for being found in possession of liquor on a train.