PHOSPHATE SUPPLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 97, 10 July 1946, Page 5

PHOSPHATE SUPPLIES

BRIGHTER OUTLOOK BACK TO PRE-WAR OUTPUT New Zealand will this year .be back to its pre-war output for fertilisers. Adequate importations of raw phosphate rock will be reaching the Dominion,, and in three months' time the first post-war supplies of basic slag from Belgium should be coming into this country. .

Prospects for fertiliser supplies look particularly bright this season. On the rationing year 1945/46, which expired at June 30, the total amount of raw rock allocated to New Zealand for the manufacture of superphosphate was 300,000 tons. This was practically all to hand and will manufacture an overall amount of 480,000 tons of superphosphate of all types. Post-war New Zealand's overall usage of fertiliser was approximately 600,000 tons of all types, including superphosphate and imported basic slag. For the 1945/46 rationing year, commencing on July 1, New Zealand expects 370,000 tons of raw rock, which will manufacture about 600,000 tons of superphosphate, or its equivalent. In addition, New Zealand has asked to be supplied with 50,000 tons of finely ground phosphate for direct application to the land, either from North African phosphate or basic slag. Though there does riot appear to be much possibility of this being received, arrangements have been made for the export to New Zealand of 10,000 tons of basic slag. This will be delivered in August-September next. It is the first shipment from Belgium since before the war.; In requisitioning for finely-ground phosphate, the New Zealand Government made it clear that the 50,000 tons so required must be over and above the basic requirements of 300,000 of raw rock, one ton of which will produce If tons of fertiliser. It would thus appear that if the allocation of 370,000 tons of raw rock is granted—and it is at present under consideration by the Combined Food Board—and with 10,000 tons of basic slag coming forward, New Zealand will measure up to its former usage of phosphate. This, however, does not mean that rationing can automatically be lifted, as since the war the demand has increased considerably, and there is much leeway still to be overtaken.

The British Phosphate Commission has done an exceedingly good job, and it is fully expected that .Nauru and Ocean Islands will shortly be fulfilling New Zealand's requirements.

Normally New Zealand's supplies of rock phosphate are produced from Nauru and Ocean Islands, though quantities of prosphate from Seychelels, North Africa and Walpole Island were imported before the war for direct application to soil. New Zealand's interest in Nauru and Ocean was purchased in 1921," since when they have been administered by the British Phosphate Commissioners.