FERTILISER MIXTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 4, 14 September 1942, Page 5

FERTILISER MIXTURE

PROTESTS ANTICIPATED

MINISTER S COMMENTS

Widespread pretests against the Government's decision that in future North Island farmers, who have been accustomcd to using superphosphate or superphosphate and lime, will have to accept a mixture of superphosphate and serpentine rock is predicted by the president of the New Zealand Fertiliser Merchants' Distributors Federation, Mr P. J. Oakley, Hawera. The farmers' interests had not been considered, he said, and a subsidised monopoly was created.

"Farmers have had, their rights restricted and their costs increased, and have been compelled to buy a mixture to which the Government has thought fit to give an absolute monopoly and to subsidise with public money," said Mr Oakley. "For instance, superphosphate and lime, 3 to 1, have given great satisfaction for many years, and at a lower cost than other fertilisers. The Government now blocks the farmer from buying this mixture and compels him instead to buy superphosphate and serpentine, 3 to 1. Minister Replies to Criticism "We have been experimenting for over two years, and have had ample proof of the value-of serpentine rock when mixed with superphosphate," stated the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, on his return to Auckland, i'rom Whangarei, in commenting on recent criticism. "Anyone knowing the full facts would appreciate there is no 'stunt' about the business." Mr Barclay said that the use of serpentine rock would have been made compulsory some time ago had there been sufficient supplies of the rodk available. The superphosphate manufacturers in the North Island had been instructed to use serpentine rock as from September 1. now that adequate supplies were available..