LAND FOR VEGETABLES

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21584, 21 November 1941, Page 8

LAND FOR VEGETABLES

OPINIONS AT INQUIRY 7 TREATY BUYING NOT FAVOURED B By Teiegraph -—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday The suggestion that land in North - Canterbury could be utilised to replace the land lost to growers in the Hutt Valley and to supply vegetables to the Wellington market was A made by Mr H. Frampton. representing the Christchurch Brokers’ Association, when giving evidence about vegetable prices before the Price Tribunal today’. In reply to a ques- • k North _ Canterbury land could grow the early spring cabbages tiiat came from the Hutt Valley. In Christ- g church early sprng cabbage.-- came from dear land, and it was only because of the hign prices that they ] could be grown as a payable proposition. Mr Frampton said there was a wonderful opportunity in Nelson, which he thought had not been tried out enough. He agreed that organisation of the growers’ side of the market garden industry would improve the position. Two things that would help most were registration of growers and regulation of supplies. Treaty Not Favoured Witness claimed that auctioneers were giving efficient and good service to growers and retailers. He did not see how prices could be fixed by treaty. Evidence was given by Mi J. H. Parker, assistant manager of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation. Replying to Mr Justice Hunter. he said that organisation of 'r fruitgrowers had reduced costs, the result being cheaper prices to the ”. consumer. Mr E. G. Robertson, general man- q ager and director of Market Gar- n dens, Limited, a co-operative concern, said he did not think the Government should take any more land ~ in the Hutt. Authoritj.es in other countries were not so indiscreet as to take away market garden land from cities. Freight to Wellington £ Mr Robertson said it was ridiculous to talk about bringing vegetables to Wellington from the South Island. He instanced tomatoes, on • which the freight was 2s 6d against i In regard to auctioneering, he said: “We can sell £IOOO worth o£ . produce in three hours, but under 1 private treaty we might bicker with the buyer for three days.”’ Planned Production The high prices of vegetables today were due to one principal cause, a shortage of supply, stated a survey of commercial market gardening presented by Mr W. T. Goodwin, ! assistant-director of the Horticulture -j Division of the Department of Agri- J culture. This was not necessarily unusual at this period of the year, but was more pronounced this year. The main causes in the supply shortage were: Short planting of seasonal crops: shortage of manpower; unfav- ! ourable climatic conditions; an in- | crease of consumption in certain ] ! directions: increased production , costs; disease and pests. The survey stressed the need for ! organisation and planned production * and suggested the establishment of ! consumers’ and producers’ drganisaj tions to deal with supply and de- ( mand. ; Mr W. J. Gunn, food controller, , submitted a report on supplies for ) the armed forces. He denied a sug- . gestion which had been made that the Army was prepared to offer any price at all for vegetables and pointed to the fact that the quartermaster ; at any camp had only a certain margin on which to operate.