asked the Minister of Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the U.S. Government proposes to destroy, owing to glut, 20,000,000 bushels of potatoes in 1947 and a similar quantity in 1948 and 1949; and if he will represent to the U.S. Government that these potatoes, instead of being destroyed, could be used to remedy potato shortages in this and other countries.

This country cannot import potatoes from the United States because they are infected with bacterial ring rot. I understand that arrangements have already been made for about 150,000 tons of seed potatoes to be sent from the United States to Germany this year.