STATE POTATO PURCHASE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20740, 25 February 1939, Page 10

STATE POTATO PURCHASE

£30,000 LOSS REPORTED EXPORTED TO MONTEVIDEO {By Telegraph—rress Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday It is reported in Christchurch that the 3600 tons of potatoes purchased by the Government last year and exported to Montevideo were soid at £3 a ton, resulting in a loss estimated at approximately £30,000. When the report was referred to him this evening, the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, said: “I do not know anything about that. I will not be making any statement about the consignment until I report to Parliament.” The Government bought the potatoes in an effort to relieve the glut which kept prices on the local market very low last season. It paid growers £3 a ton on trucks, sacks included, equal to £2 10s to £2 12s 6d a ton, sacks extra, the market price at the time of purchase. It is conservatively estimated that charges for on trucks to the market in Montevideo would be considerably more than £7 a ton. In addition, it is reported that some of the potatoes had to be picked over in Montevideo, thus reducing the quantity actually sold.