availability but, in the ensuing chapters, it is intended to concentrate on the problems of the medium size operator, coming into the industry for the first time, or developing into dehydration from some other food processing activity. It is, perhaps, more likely, at this stage of the growth of dehydration, that development in Europe will be at this sort of level, rather than at that applying in the US, where plants with an intake capability of upwards of 500 tons a day are not uncommon RAW MATERIAL Once the vegetable programme has been established, an efficient procurement system is an absolute necessity, as it is vital that the plant be fed with a round-the-clock supply of raw material for many months of the year, with no hiatus or short-fall due to weather conditions, or any other circumstances. Binding contracts must be made with reliable growers to ensure this and also to ensure that suitable varieties of vegetable-ones that lend themselves favourably to the process-are grown. Random purchasing on the open market is a system not to be relied upon by the dehydrator, because wherever the price is right the variety will be wrong, and vice versa The one exception, when this procedure is varied, is in the case of potatoes, and spot purchases are often made as the season proceeds. Whilst there is an element of risk in this particularly in a of low solids and a short crop- potato prices tend to be more stable than those for some other crops, and availability is spread over a much longer period fro.? some particular potato products, however, do call for speclalvarieties as a first choice. Potato granules and flakes, for example, should be made igh starch content tubers and, if these types are not grown in the traditional growing areas, special plantings under contract may have to be made adjacent to the plant location. On the other hand, some processors find that, to meet a cost problem with some potato products, they have to process culls from ware(table grade)potatoes, and, in this case, contracting is not usually possible. Grading stations can usually supply large quantities of this material, which is satisfactory for the manufacture of some grades of dehydrated product, and long term arrangements can always be made for intake from such sources, provided certain basic quality requirements are covered Contracts The procurement contract with the grower can take one of two forms, either: (1)A contract wherein the purchaser undertakes to buy from the vendor a specific tonnage of vegetables at a fixed price per ton, delivered to the factory over a specified period, or (2)a contract wherein the purchaseravailability but, in the ensuing chapters, it is intended to concentrate on the problems of the medium size operator, coming into the industry for the first time, or developing into dehydration from some other food processing activity. It is, perhaps, more likely, at this stage of the growth of dehydration, that development in Europe will be at this sort of level, rather than at that applying in the US, where plants with an intake capability of upwards of 500 tons a day are not uncommon. RAW MATERIAL Once the vegetable programme has been established, an efficient procurement system is an absolute necessity, as it is vital that the plant be fed with a round-the-clock supply of raw material for many months of the year, with no hiatus or short-fall due to weather conditions, or any other circumstances. Binding contracts must be made with reliable growers to ensure this and also to ensure that suitable varieties of vegetable - ones that lend themselves favourably to the process -are grown. Random purchasing on the open market is a system not to be relied upon by the dehydrator, because wherever the price is right the variety will be wrong, and vice versa. The one exception, when this procedure is varied, is in the case of potatoes, and spot purchases are often made as the season proceeds. Whilst there is an element of risk in this particularly in a Season of low solids and a short crop - potato prices tend to be more stable than those for some other crops, and availability is spread over a much longer period. Some particular potato products, however, do call for special varieties as a first choice. Potato granules and flakes, for example, should be made from high starch content tubers and, if these types am not grown in the traditional growing areas, special plantings under contract may have to be made adjacent to the plant location. On the other hand, some processors find that, to meet a cost problem with some potato products, they have to process culls from ware (table grade) potatoes, and, in this case, contracting is not usually possible. Grading stations can usually supply large quantities of this material, which is satisfactory for the manufacture of some grades of dehydrated pmduct, and long term arrangements can always be made for intake from such sources, provided certain basic quality requirements are covered. Contracts The procurement contract with the grower can take one of two forms, either: (I) A contract wherein the purchaser undertakes to buy from the vendor a specific tonnage of vegetables at a fixed price per ton, delivered to the factory over a specified period, or (2) a contract wherein the purchaser 22