FERTILISER PROBLEMS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 272, 17 February 1941, Page 2

FERTILISER PROBLEMS

RESULT OF NAURU RAID LOSS TO NEW ZEALAND What a catastrophe the damage done by the German raiders at Nauru Island may prove to he can he gauged from the fact that before it occurred, there was already a shortage in New Zealand of HO,OOO tons of superphosphate. Production Figures The farmers of New Zealand have been called on for increased production and have responded nobly, as the following production figures will show:— 1928-29 26-1,000 tons 1932-33 294.000 tons 19,']8-39 409,000 tons 1939-40 417 000 tons Reduced Supplies With the advent of war, supplies of soft phosphates from Tunis were cut off with the fall of France, and of course basic slag has ceased to arrive from Belgium, but the New Zealand Government has made arrangements with the Pacific Phosphate Commission for an increased supply of rock phosphate from Nauru. It can easily be imagined that there is now a greater likelihood of reduced rather than increased supplies from this direction and this may prove a very serious blow to production in this country. Heavy Topd'ressing During eight months of 1939. 310,ii19 tons of rock phosphate were delivered, and during the sanje period of 1940, 308,881 tons were imported. During the seiasori 1938-39. 4 016.944 acres were topdressed, an increase of 1"42, 955 acres on the figure for the previous season. The proportion of pasture land topdressed to total pasture land, works out at 22.7 per cent in 1938-39, so that it is evident that the demands for phosphate are by no means satisfied. Trial of Substitutes An effort is being made to uso Serpentine Rock Avhich is found in North Auckland and in the Nelson province, to mix with superphosphate. This lock contains a small percentage of silicate and magnesium. These materials act in some soils as a releasing agent. But it is not yet known where the application of this Serpentine Rock Avill be of any benefit and a period of trial and error is ahead of the farming community in respect to the new combination. Evil Effects However, with the shortage of 30 000 tons which was estimated to exist at the end of 1940, it is difficult to see how, taking into account the damage at Nauru, the present level of production can lie maintained.