NEW ZEALAND POTATOES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17029, 14 August 1929, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND POTATOES

THE AUSTRALIAN EMBARGO SEVERE CONDITIONS IMPOSED Press messages to the effect that potatoes are selling readily at £22 per ton in Melbourne and Sydney, in consequence ol the shortage of supplies, havo tocusscd attention on the embargo on New Zealand potatoes which has prevented Dominion growers from participating in the harvest. A pressman made inquiries to-day concerning the restrictions placed by the Commonwealth Government on the importation of tubers from this country, and discovered that while there is no absolute prohibition against the New Zealand potatoes, Hie restrictions are so severe as to make the importation unprofitable. The regulations imposed, bv the Commonwealth Government call for the positive identification of potatoes imported into any part of Australia from any other country; parcels exceediug 1411). in weight are not admitted, and smaller parcels must carry a certificate of cleanness from disease, and a. further certificate to the effect that the ground from which they were taljcn was not affected by any crop disease during the 12 months prior to the shipment, of the tubers. Furl re the importer must

leave his parcels of potatoes in the hands of the quarantine officers, who are empowered to plant them and cultivate the crop with a view to assuring themselves- that no disease exists in the notatoes. This regulations in particular applies, presumably, only to seed potatoes, but the general' restrictions apparently cover all importations. A provision is included in the order making it possible for potatoes intended for food purposes to be imported under such conditions as the Minister of Agriculture may think fit to impose, providing they are certified as free from disease. This provision should make it possible for the Minister to. alleviate the shortage that now,exists in Australia, but apparently it is impossible to say definitely that tubers are entirely free from disease unless stirh precautions are taken in their selection for export as would make the trade unprofitable. The Australian regulations have been fairly closely followed by the New Zealand Government; in a retaliatory measure which effectively prevents the importation of diseased potatoes from the Commonwealth, but the Dominion regulations are more elastic than those imposed across the Tasman.

PRIOE OF POTATOES EFFECT OF AUSTRALIAN BAN It will be welcome news to the people of New Zealand to learn that the New South Wales Government does not intend to lift the ban regarding the importation into that State of New Zealand potatoes Mn|p<? the Dominion). There are those who hold that it would be a good thing to have the ban lifted, as it would mean a lot of money to New Zealand holders. That may be so, but a Wellington merchant said it would mean an immediate rise in the price here to £ls or £l6 per ton, and that would hit everyone. Kven at the present time the existing price (£lO 10s per ton) was not justified—it was a (nice made because some, of the big holders in the south thought there was a chance of the Svdney ban being lifted. In the opinion of the merchant, it is, more than likely that some of these holders will "fall in" if they do not loosen up in price, as already a few bags of early new potatoes from Nelson havo been marketed in Wellington, and more will he coming to hand next nionlli.