VEGETABLES FOR FORCES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 4, 6 January 1944, Page 2

VEGETABLES FOR FORCES

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT OF PAST YEAR One of the major achievements on the home front in the Dominion in the past year has been the growing, packing and dispatch of thousands ol ions of vegetables for the armed iorces m ■ the Pacific. Many s-acriiices have been made and long hours worked, often at night, to ensure that ships are loaded to Plimsoll There is an impression aniong the public that most ol these activities, involving the supply of foodstuffs under lend-lease, are organised and earned out by the State through the internal marketing division. 1 he tacts are that the division handles about onethird of vegetable supplies shipped abroad; the remaining two-thirds nave been taken over by two Auckland fruit and produce firms. Through their contracts with growers And dlstribu- ■ tion courses, these firms have drawn supplies fix)m all over New Zealand. For most of the period the merchants have accepted contracts from the food controller, but a new system has been instituted under which orders come from the internal marketing division. Despite extensive competition at preseni from the State, not only in distribution but also at the produc-1 lion end, the Auckland merchants continue to handle the bulk of supplies. Prodigious quantities are involved. For instance, from May to November 150,000 sacks of southern potatoes, weighing about 12,000 tons, were graded and crated for the United States Joint Purchasing Board by several firms who are members of the Grain. Seed and Produce Merchants' Association. In July one firm alone recrated 4000 bags of onions. All sorting was done by hand, and onlv the best quality was included in overseas orders. In October and November the following approximate quantities of vegetables were shipped, haxing been

iterated by Auckland city firms: CabJ bage 1,173,0001 b.; carrots 484,0001 b.; cauliflower, 220,0001 b.; swedes 172,500 lb., rhubarb, 57,0001 b.; beetroot 75,000 lb.; lettuce 18,0001 b. On reaching Auckland city the vegetables go into cool store for a short period before occupying refrigerated space on the freighters bound for the ! war zone. Rigid inspection is main- . tained to ensure the best quality and ’ condition of the produce. , Fulfilling an order for several thou- . sand cases of cabbage, peas or lettuce » is far from a simple matter. Often ’ the order is amended, not once but j several times, or cancelled altogether, and rapid rearrangements are neces- . sary to prevent over-supply or wastage. All the time an eye has to be . kept on the domestic market to ensure i continuity. I In many far-flung parts of the com- > bat areas New Zealand and American ; troops, for the first time Jnce hostili- [ ties began, enjoyed fresh vegetables > this Christmas, a welcome change from dehydrated products and the übiquitous "m. and v.” Letters which have reached home recently reveal ( now much appreciated these supplies are. For the sfeady stream of the vegetables they have to thank an elab- [ orate organisation from the grower to the merchant seaman. . Cabbage has been a staple line for many months, and scores of tones hav ; been dispatched. Before crating the . cabbage lose a third of their billk, representing the outside green leaves. I Celery, a popular item with the Americans, has also been forwarded in large quantities by the merchant firms. With the advent of the summer. p( as and beans have taken precedence.