RANGE OF PRODUCTS This should always be as wide as the limitations of the plant and premises will allow. Without a broad-based programme, the dehydrator can never hope to produce economically. It is almost impossible to specialise, as it is in some parts of the food industry For example, it is not a viable proposition to specialise only in potato dehydration, although the raw material may be available nearly all the year round unless there is diversification into a large volume of potato-based value- added products, snack and impulse foods. In the context of our industry, potato is a low priced product, and equally there is a low profit margin on whatever form the dehydrated potato takes The large potato processors in America solve this problem by diversification in the format of processing. Usually, they buy the potato crop as lifted and grade it in their plants. The largest tubers are sometimes foil wrapped and sold as 'bakers' through the retail chain stores. These are bought by the American housewife for baking in their jackets They next grade out a top premium grade potato of medium size for prepacking-again selling to the chain stores. The third grade, perhaps not quite bright enough in external appearance to fetch the prepack premium, is livered to the frozen French Fries line, or to potato crisp production plant for the manufacture of flakes and granules. The exterior imperfections in the raw material, at this stage, are of little consequence in this process, which has built-in facilities for removing them By intensive diversification of processes and outlets, therefore, it is possible to specialise with potatoes but, where only dehydration is concerned, such specialisation is impossible for purely economic reasons. A rotation of vegetables is required, therefore, to keep the plant operational for 10-11 months of the year, and it is possible that, in some locations, this range may extend to ten different varieties. It is important, however, in the interests of costs, that the production run on any one variety should be unbroken for at least 3-4 weeks. Broken runs, or production runs terminating midweek, are expensive in the context of lost time in cleaning down and running off dryers before another product can be processed. It is impossible to clean down a complete production line properly in less than eight hours, and if this has to be done midweek, the loss of profitability will be obvIous STAFF DEPLOYMENT Economy in manual operations is essential and, wherever the capital cost of a machine, which displaces hand labour, can be seen to be recoverable within a me- say one to two seasons- then that machine should beRANGE OF PRODUCTS This should always be as wide as the limitations of the plant and premises will allow. Without a broad-based programme, the dehydrator can never hope to produce economically. It is almost impossible to specialise, as it is in some other parts of the food industry. For example, it is not a viable proposition to specialise only in potato dehydration, although the raw material may be available nearly all the year round unless there is diversification into a large volume of potato-based value￾added products, snack and impulse foods. In the context of our industry, potato is a low priced product, and equally there is a low profit margin on whatever form the dehydrated potato takes. The large potato processors in America solve this problem by diversification in the format of processing. Usually, they buy the potato crop ‘as lifted’ and grade it in their plants. The largest tubers are sometimes foil wrapped and sold as ’bakers’ through the retail chain stores. These are bought by the American housewife for baking in their jackets. They next grade out a top premium grade potato of medium size for prepacking - again selling to the chain stores. The third grade, perhaps not quite bright enough in external appearance to fetch the prepack premium, is diverted to the frozen French Fries line, or to potato crisp production. Eventually, the culls from the foregoing grades go to the dehydration plant for the manufacture of flakes and granules. The exterior imperfections in the raw material, at this stage, are of little consequence in this process, which has built-in facilities for removing them. By intensive diversification of processes and outlets, therefore, it is possible to specialise with potatoes but, where only dehydration is concerned, such specialisation is impossible for purely economic reasons. A rotation of vegetables is required, therefore, to keep the plant operational for 10-11 months of the year, and it is possible that, in some locations, this range may extend to ten different varieties. It is important, however, in the interests of costs, that the production run on any one variety should be unbroken for at least 3-4 weeks. Broken runs, or production runs terminating midweek, are expensive in the context of lost time in cleaning down and running off dryers before another product can be processed. It is impossible to clean down a complete production line properly in less than eight hours, and if this has to be done midweek, the loss of profitability will be obvious. STAFF DEPLOYMENT Economy in manual operations is essential and, wherever the capital cost of a machine, which displaces hand labour, can be seen to be recoverable within a reasonable time - say one to two seasons - then that machine should be 254