AUSTRALIAN POTATOES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1941, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN POTATOES

IMPORTATION BY GOVERNMENT. CANTERBURY GROWERS PERTURBED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 5. Potato growers in Canterbury are perturbed about the arrangements made by the Government to import supplies of Australian potatoes, according to Mr R. G. Bishop, president of the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers’ Union. He said that growers considered local supplies were ample until the new potatoes came in. The present prices were not considered at all unreasonable, because of the money lost on potatoes last year. In announcing that Australian potatoes would be imported to meet Army and Government requirements, theMinister of Marketing, Mr Barclay, said that action was being taken because of the high prices ruling for potatoes in the South island and because there was an element of doubt ■as to whether there would be sufficient to meet the Dominion’s requirements until the new crops were available. Not long before making this announcement the Minister informed the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers’ Union that no potatoes would be imported from Australia by the Government as long as sufficient local supplies were available at reasonable prices.

Referring to this announcement, MiBishop said that the Minister’s subsequent action was considered by the union to be a breach of faith.