POTATO GROWERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 March 1943, Page 3

POTATO GROWERS

WAIRARAPA ASSOCIATION TO BE FORMED OUTLINE OF ADVANTAGES. INCREASED PRICE OBTAINABLE. Steps are being taken to form a Potato Growers’ Association in the Wairarapa. A meeting of growers and others held in Masterton yesterday agreed to that course ,the Association to be fostered by the Wairarapa Primary Production Council. It was agreed that steps to form the association must be taken at once to secure the advantages this season, and it was decided to hold a meeting of growers in Greytown on Friday evening to set up the association. Mr R. H. Brewerton, deputy-chair-man- of the Wairarapa Primary Production Council, who presided, said that at present the growers had no means of exchanging news and views between themselves, whereas if an association were formed, meetings could be held at which matters to the growers’ mutual advantage could be discussed. Moreover, an association would provide the means to guarantee a standard line of potatoes, packed in regular containers, and their article would become very saleable. The growers would be known under a registered number, and their produce could be traced right up to the consumer. By growing and marketing a good variety of potatoes, their produce would always be in demand. In the past year potatoes tagged as coming from such an association brought £1 per ton above the market rates for untagged potatoes. A recent Government price order stipulated that tagged potatoes were subject to an increase of 10s per ton above the prices set out in the order. MARKETING OF PRODUCE. The regulations, governing the marketing of produce were:—The grade was to be determined by weight, by taking 100 tubers as they came from the slick, sorting these out, and the weight of the sixteen smallest must not be less than 31bs„ and any two tubers must not be less than sozs. The quality must be table size, reasonably free from earth, free from second growth and rotten potatoes, and the total of small, slightly damaged, diseased or brown fleck tubers must not exceed 2 per cent in weight. The containers must be full-sized sound sacks; inferior or perished sacks must never be used. Small sacks wore to be used only under special agreement with the purchaser. Sowing with seaming twine or binder twine was stipulated; not with flax. Each grower would receive a registered number, and each member would receive a number of tags to be attached to the sacks, these tags to carry the association’s name and the grower’s registered number. Each grower had to sign a declaration promising to adhere to the regulations of the association, and in particular that he would not attach, or permit to be attached, tags to any of his produce which was not graded in accordance with the standard laid down. In the event of complaints and rejections/ growers were to. abide by the decision of the Merchants’ Complaints Committee at various points. The Complaints Committee would be authorised to remove tags on rejected consignments. Each complaint or rejection that was uheld by the Merchants Complaints Committee was to be investigated by the committee of the association. If, in the opinion of that committee, the grower was held to have been negligent, the grower would be warned, and on the occasion of a second occurrence of negligence in the same season, the grower’s registration and membership would be cancelled, unused tags returned, and a refund effected. The finance of the association was to be arranged by making an annual membership fee of ss, and a charge of -Jd for each tag issued. Any tags unused at the expiry of the season must be returned and a ; refund effected. ASSOCIATION FAVOURED. On the motion of Mr W. G. K. Wiggins .seconded by Mr Hugh Morrison, . the meeting requested that the local . Primary Production Council should ( foster a Potato Growers’ Association in the Wairarapa on the lines of those put 1 before the meeting. Mr Wiggins asked if labour would be .’ available for harvesting the potatoes. He referred to an arrangement made in the Nelson district, where a small camp ‘ had been established to provide the 1 necessary, labour for fruit harvesting, 1 and suggested it might be possible to 1 make a similar arrangement in Grey- 1 town. ‘ Mr Kebbell said the men wanted for J digging potatoes could be obtained, < provided board could be arranged. He did not know whether there was suf- I ficient work offering to warrant the set- i ting up of a camp, but he would be ‘ pleased to have full particulars about £ the labour wanted. t Mr Wiggins said at least 20 men r were wanted in Grey town for fruit 1 picking. t Arrangements were made to get in i touch with all potato growers in the Wairarapa, with a view to having a ] full attendance at the meeting to be < held at Greytown on Friday night. The ; Wairarapa Primary Production Council j strongly recommended all potato grow- ] ers to attend that meeting. c