POTATO GLUT.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 332, 13 January 1937, Page 2

POTATO GLUT.

“DISQUIETING POSITION.”

Thousands Of Sacks Being Dumped. The fact that some thousands of ; sacks of potatoes are being dumped into South Island harbours raises some rather disquieting thoughts as to the future of potato growing. As far as statistics enable, a judgment to be made the crop was little more than'an average one. It ! amounted last season to 121,000 tons, and at 51 tons to the acre, the yield was slightly better than normal. Th e total quantity was barely up to the normal of the last decade, and was much less than in some years, in 1931, for instance, the weight of the crop was 151,000 tons, and as recently as 1934 it was 131,000 tons. In 1935 the yield was the smallest for very many years—lo9,ooo tons. The average production that season Was small, being only 4S tons to the acre. Only Normal. Had this smaller Crop and the satisfactory prices realised caused an undue extension of the area, the excess this season could have been understood, but, as stated, the last season’s crop was no more than normal. Yet in spite of this, and a heavy export of approximately 100,000 sacks to South. America, it has been found necessary to dump several thousand sacks into the sea. Probably there are many more potatoes left unused on the farm each year than are heard of, and the fact that the surplus this year was removed from the stores attracted a publicity not generally attached to the unwanted crop. However, the obvious deduction from. th 6 position is that the country is consuming less potatoes. Back in 1913 the quantity produced was 147,689 tons, and in 1914 it was 157,194 tons. In 1920 the return Was 144,705’ tons, and in 1921, 126,648. figures are taken haphazardly from the Year Books, but in nons , 6j these years Was there a surplus p-uch a drastic disposal tas-. that of this season, and the popu* lation then was much smaller.