POTATOES SENT TO AUSTRALIA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21324, 19 April 1939, Page 3

POTATOES SENT TO AUSTRALIA

SAMPLE CONSIGNMENT PLEASES

ARRIVAL IN GOOD CONDITION Inspections carried out at Sydney on the arrival of the sample shipment of about 30 bags of New Zealand potatoes, which were carried by the Awatea, showed them to be in good condition. The shipment was made up entirely of potatoes from the North Island.

It was pointed out by Mr R. B. Tennent, director of the field division of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture, who is visiting Australia to discuss the marketing of Dominion potatoes with the Federal and State Governments, that the shipment could not be regarded as a sample of the main crop.

Hope of Further Relaxation

New Zealand’s main crop, which was grown in the South Island, would not be available for a few weeks, he said. The Federal Government's modification of the embargo on Dominion potatoes would expire on April 20 and New Zealand hoped that the relaxing of the embargo would be continued for a further period.

The Director of the State Marketing Bureau, Mr A. A. Watson, said that the New Zealand Government was going to great trouble to ensure that any potatoes exported to Australia should be of exceptionally good quality. Potatoes grown in New South Wales, and also those imported from Tasmania, said Mr Watson, were permitted a 5 per cent, margin of fault. New Zealand, however, was understood to have imposed a 2 per cent, “tolerance" on the potatoes which it hoped to send to Australia.

Mr Watson added that after making his preliminary report he had been instructed by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr A. Reid, to prepare a final report on the potato industry. The re-

port would deal more fully with marketing facilities in New South Wales, handling arrangements and the advantages of a single central market.

Big Tasmanian Shipment

The biggest shipment of Tasmanian potatoes for a year, consisting of 30,952 bags, arrived in Sydney on April 3 from Tasmania. Wholesale prices were reduced by £8 to £l6 a ton,- causing a drop of Id per lb in the retail price. Before this the Housewives’ Association of New South Wales decided to continue its boycott on potatoes until the retail value fell to 2d per lb or less. It was stated at a meeting of the Wholesale Produce Merchants’ Association in Sydney that the previous high price of £24 a ton had seriously affected the retail trade.