Lack Of Shipping Chief Difficulty In Tea Supply Position

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 40, 23 April 1948, Page 6

Lack Of Shipping Chief Difficulty In Tea Supply Position

Lack of shipping; is the chief difficulty preventing tjhe building up of sufficient stocks of ' tea in New Zealand to enable rationing to be lifted. Although therevis still a deficiency in world supplies,,, the Government is endeavouring to eliminate the tea shortage in New Zealand as soon as posible, says “Consunier News.” \ Twenty-two per cent, of th 4 world’s tea supply was lost wheii the Japanese overran Java. Th 6 British Government was then coißpelled to undertake the distribution. ,of the remainder. The -Javanese tea plantations are not expected^'to reach their pre-war production Tor at .least another year, and until tiien the world-wide shortage will Continue, despite increased shipments from other producing areas. (

At the end 1946 the British Government relinquished control of the distribution of tea and cppen auctions were resumed early .last year. Although supplies of good'-tea were obtained for New Zealan4 in India and Ceylon, it has been difficult to arrange shipping. Last year stocks bought in Ceylon during February, March and April did riot arrive in New Zealand until September, October and November. One consignment was held up for J 17 weeks in Sydney. \