BOOM STATISTICS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1926, Page 2

BOOM STATISTICS

.. CAUSE A FLAT MARKET.

POTATO GKO WFI’S AIAKE COMPLAINT. WELLINGTON, July 27, A report communicated to the Press last week by the Government Statistician congratulating the Dominion on the potato-crop, which was almost a record, has caused trouble to growers, who do not appreciate the results of the official congratulations. Air David Jones, ALP., informed a representative of the- “Lyttelton Times” that the figures were badly inflated and had created an impression that there is a big surplus of potatoes in the country, with the immediate consequence that as the official figures were cabled to Sydney, which had been an excellent overseas market for tho crop, buyers have held off waiting for tho reduced prices which should follow the existence of a big surplus, when there really is no surplus. How the misapprehension arose was explained by Air Jones.

“The'Government Statistician,” he said, “started by asking growers to give estimates of their probable crop. Each farmer has been in the habit of returning to tho Statistician his estimate of yield based on probable proportion of table potatoes. 1 know from practical experience that this has been the case, but later in the season oil this occasion the Statistician asked for figures showing the yield, and in a special fnbtnote stated he required particulars of table, pig and seed potatoes. The result has been an enormous increase over the estimated yield, because in every season out of six tons of potatoes quite four tons would be ■small ones, suitable only for pig or seed purposes. This season the position in this respect has been made worse ownin' to a dry period which greatly increased the quantity of small potatoes. However the whole yield was included in the result, when cabled to Australia, created a wrong impression that New Zealand had a big surplus, consquently would-be buyers held off inquiries prices have dropped and the market is fiat. Merchants and farmers are of opinion that the good prices of this season have caused more potatoes to be sold and thus lessened the quantities which have gone into the pits. Indications, therefore, are that we have no surplus.

Some of these points were put to the Afinister of Agriculture by. Air Jones in the House this afternoon with the object of getting the Government Statistician to provide a correct estimate of the vield of marketable potatoes. The Hon. 0. J. Hawketi replied that the collection of statistics was rot under his control, lint he appreciated the points made by the questioner, because he knew that dinners in returning their portable yield in the past had done so in a rough and ready way, and if small potatoes were included the crop would appear to be very much larger in comparison with previous years’ figures.

“Alv Department has informed me on several occasions,” continued the Alinister, “that the amount available for export to Australian is only a small proportion of the whole. I hope the figures will not deceive the public, because I knew that, in the South Island, owing to dry weather in the spring, there was a larger proportion than usual of small potatoes, and there has already been considerable shipment to Australia, over 50,000 sacks to the end of June, and a considerable quantity since. T do not think there is any reason to believe that there is any considerable quantity of potatoes in the country.”