DEARTH OF POTATOES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1938, Page 5

DEARTH OF POTATOES

- HIGH PRICES RULING IN AUCKLAND LARGE SUPPLIES HELD UP AT PORT. IN DANGER OF DETERIORATING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 7. Though more than 8000 sacks of South Island potatoes are lying in the holds of the Waiana and Port Waikato at city wharves, it is impossible to obtain even one sack of southern potatoes in Auckland. An acute shortage has arisen because of the delays in unloading the vessels as a result of the waterfront dispute. The shortage has resulted in particularly high prices being obtained for new season’s potatoes from Pukekohe, which are now selling in the markets at from 10s to 11s a bag, compared with about 8s a bag at the end of last week. South Island potatoes are nominally quoted at £6 15s a ton for both reds and whites, a rise of 25s over the past week. However, if any supplies were available, a very much higher figure could be obtained. The Waiana was due to arrive at Auckland last Monday with about 4700 oags from the South Island, including a quantity of export quality potatoes, which are being bought by merchants from the Government to assist in finding a market for surplus export stocks. The vessel was held up at Wellington because of waterside workers refusing to unload its cargo, and it arrived at Auckland on Wednesday. Very few sacks were discharged at Auckland before the present hold-up started and, as there* was scarcely a sack of South Island potatoes in Auckland when the vessel arrived, the shortage has now become acute. The Port Waikato arrived yesterday with a further 3500 sacks from the South Island which are still awaiting discharge. “The mbst serious point of the holdup is that, because of their delayed arrival and the subsequent stoppage )f work on the city wharves, it is doubtful in what condition the potatoes will eventually be discharged,” said an official of the Auckland. Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants' Association. ‘The recent humid weather and the fact that it is late in the season for South Island potatoes to be coming to Auckland make it highly probable that the potatoes will suffer considerably through being stored for a long period under the steel decks of the vessels. Merchants have a large number of orders which are held up awaiting delivery of the potatoes, but they hope to get possession before the potatoes deteriorate too much.”

The shortage of potatoes has presented an unusual problem to the authorities of the Auckland Hospital, where the normal consumption of potatoes is about one-third of a ton per day. There are 10 tons of potatoes on board the Waiana at Princes Wharf awaiting delivery to the hospital, but it has not been found possible to unload them, and seed potatoes are being used as a temporary measure at the board’s institutions. Officials of the Waterside Workers’ Union stated that the men would be willing to unload the potatoes Cor the hospital, but the chairman of the Auckland Stevedores’ Association. Captain Lewis, explained, on being approached, that it was not possible to unload the 10 tons of potatoes for the board, as they were distributed in several holds among a large quantity of other cargo.