THE POTATO MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 8

THE POTATO MARKETS.

AUSTRALIA WELL SUPPLIED. Potato-growers, particularly those in the far south', are lamenting the nonrealisation of their early hopes of receiving high prices for tho season's potato crop. In some localities •£■! 10s. per ton was offering at lifting time, but that prico was not considered good enough. Tons of potatoes were consequently pitted, and now tho bottom seems to have completely fallen out of the market, and instead of tho fond hopes of upwards of ifilO per ton being realised, a largo quantity of tubers -are practically going begging at about £2, and are scarcely worth taking out of the pits. In making a few inquiries as to the cause of the depressed market, it was learned by a Dominion reporter that the main contributing cause of the depression is because there has been no outlet in Australia for surplus stocks this year. It is also mentioned that the Government statistics covering the area under crop were below the actual average. This, and the fact th'at the j-ields taken all over tho Domiilion are rather better than usual, led tho largo growers to mis-calcu-late tho supplies, so that the position is that the supplies are greater, and the demand less than last year. From New Zealand last year just upon 20,000 tons of potatoes wero shipped to Australia. This season only 460 tons have been shipped to that market. The Commonwealth demand last year raised tho price of potatoes to £7 per ton. Now that this outlet is closed potatoes are down as low a3 355. and 375. Cd. per ton at southern country stations. It would appear that the normal crop of potatoes now grown in New Zealand is somewhat larger than is required, and unless a permanent outlet can be obtained for the surplus, biglt prices cannot be looked for. Australia has apparently all the potatoes she required for her own use this year; Victoria and Tasmania having sufficient to keep the West Australian and Sydney markets filled. There was somo hope a few weeks back that shipments could be mndo from the' Daminion to Sydney when the local price go± as low as .£2 por ton at country stations. but when this level was reached, the Sydney market fell per ton, and so this outlet was again closed.