SEED POTATO SHORTAGE

Southland Times, Issue 24592, 14 November 1941, Page 4

SEED POTATO SHORTAGE

Hardship In North “Artificial” Facts behind the shortage of seed potatoes as reported from Auckland, and the shortage existing throughout New Zealand of table potatoes, were given by an Invercargill merchant yesterday. The Auckland report, which was published yesterday, followed on an appeal by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) to householders to plant as many potatoes as possible in view of the probable shortage as the season developed. “The Minister’s statement was just three months too late,” declared the merchant. It should, he said, have been made during the seed season. This had finished now and when a rush occurred in Auckland after the ministerial statement it was no wonder supplies were found to be insufficient.

Seasons varied a great deal in productiveness, he continued. For example, two years ago there had been a shortage and prices in consequence were high. Then last year it had been the opposite. Potatoes were a glut on the market. The position was so bad that what today would be fetching good prices was sold for 1/6 and 2/- a bag for pig feed. The current season was almost a repetition of that of two years ago. “ARTIFICIAL” DIFFICULTY The difficulty in Auckland was purely artificial and had been brought about by the statement of the Minister. It was ridiculous now to talk about planting on a large scale to offset a possible shortage. The time for that was months ago. At the present time, table potatoes were so scarce in Southland that seeds were being trimmed and sold for the market. He did not think that people had gone in for planting in their own gardens this year as much as last year. Not so many small lots had been sold to household gardeners. This was possibly because people remembered that last year supplies were cheap and they might have thought it not worth while to take the trouble of planting this year, at all events, not on so large a scale. Speaking of the statement made by the Minister, the merchant said although the figures might show that a smaller area had been sown down, that was no guarantee that a smaller quantity would be harvested. Two reasons could be advanced. First, the size of the crop was unpredictable. It might be a bumper crop, in which case there would probably be plenty for all, or it might be a poor crop. Second, it was almost impossible to take adequate account of the numerous small areas grown for private use and consequently the returns as issued might not give an entirely accurate picture of the position.