NOT WANTED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 198, 31 December 1941, Page 8

NOT WANTED

REVERTED SUPER PROJECT I ~ AUCKLAND FARMERS' PROTEST 1 The suggestion that all phosphatic manures should be mixed by chemical process with lime before delivery goes not find favour with Auckland farmers and is strongly resisted by the Executive of the Auckland Union. At the last meeting of the Executive a letter w r as read from the Dominion Executive in which it w r as stated that at a meeting of the National Council of Primary Production it was agreed that arrangements would have to be made tot sell nothing but reverted super. It was reported to the Auckland Executive that so far as the Government was concerned, the matter was still in abeyance 1 . In the discussion that took place it became evident that freight charges came materially into the picture, as a farmer in the Whangarei district wlioi could get all the lime he wanted on the spot would be paying freight over a lengthy journey for the lime content of the mixture. Mr Blackmore stated that he had bought fish manure at £10 per ton. Under the latest proposals he had to buy the fish manure with 50 per cent of lime at about £8 per ton for the mixture, although he did not want to buy the lime, since he could get all he needed at home for £1 per ton. The Executive decided to send a strong protest to the Minister of Agriculture based on the following reasons:— (1) Lime reverted super is suitable for some types of land but not for others; (2) many farmers have already ordered their lime requirements; (3) curtailed transport services can be better occupied than In carrying lime past farms to fertiliser works and then back to farmers much nearer lime deposits than the fertiliser works. It was reported that the serpentine that can be delivered to the works is quite insufficient to allow of a 50 per cent delivery of serpen-tine-super, which would mean that If the proposed scheme is given effect to, many farmers would be compelled to use lime super. Farmers are well aware of the shortage of labour, and while not agreeing that the present basis of distribution is entirely satisfactory, will be likely to object most strongly to any decision that affects their personal freedom to use the fertilisers that their own experience has convinced them are best for use on their particular lands up to the limit imposed by necessity.