POTATO SUPPLY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 4

POTATO SUPPLY

Control By Marketing Department (N.Z.P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 18. Suggestions that the Government, and more particularaly the Internal Marketing Division, was responsible for the present acute shortage of potatoes were denied by Mr A. H. Honeyfield, Auckland manager of the division in an interview this morning. “At no stage has the Marketing Board undertaken the distribution of potatoes or onions," he said. •‘This has been solely the job of the Food Controller and Grain and Produce Merchants’ Federation. Until a few days ago. when it was announced wo would be importing potatoes from Australia to relieve the shortage, we hud nothing to do with it.” M Honey field said the production and distribution of potatoes would in future be undertaken by the Marketing Department, in collaboration with merchants who would b( asked to make direct contracts with lhe growers. The new organisation would govern supplies of both local and imported potatoes, and the Marketing . Department was now engaged in arranging details of the 1946 programme which envisaged growing between 30.000 and 35.000 acre.' throughout tin- Dominion. It was hoped to secure an average of four or five tons to lhe acre and provision would be mack* for possible losses through climatic conditions. As the result of ccutinual rains in the south, the crop this season was down to about, two tons an acre. Of next season’s supplies some 50.000 tons would be allocated to lhe American forces in lhe Pacific. It was estimated the yield would cover the requirements next .year of both New Zealand civilians and of the armed forces in the Pacific. Concluding, Mr Honeylield said no right-thinking person would suggest New Zealand should not. do its utmost to ensure that contrncts with the Americans were fully maintained The Dominion was still at war and food aresiesl of her war jobs.