POTATO PRICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26531, 5 August 1947, Page 7

POTATO PRICES

INCREASE JUSTIFIED MERCHANT’S VIEWS “The promised increase in the price of potatoes is very necessary in view of the increased costs of production and the smaller yields that have been obtained recently,’’ said the president of the Dunedin Grain, Seed, and Produce Merchants’ Association, Mr H, Douglas May, in an interview with the Daily Times. He said that for some time pressure had been brought to bear on the Government by the Federated Farmers and other organisations in an endeavour to obtain an increase. “We were anxious to see this announcement before the planting season,” he added. The farmers were definitely entitled to a small additional return fortheirlabour.lt would be an encouragement to greater production. Mr May said that he did not expect any vacation in the profit margin allowed to the distributors. It was possible that the retailer might have a slightly reduced profit, or, on the other hand, that the Price Tribunal might allow a slight increase in the ceiling prices. In any case the increase would be a minor matter compared with the benefit to the grower.