ARGENTINE MARKETS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 18, 16 October 1919, Page 6

ARGENTINE MARKETS

SHIPPING A DRAWBACK

GOVERNMENT TO BE APPROACHED

A mailer of considerable importance to breeders of stud stock throughout the Dominion was broached by Mr. E. Eeynolds (Cambridge) at rlie annual conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture yesterday. 11 r . Reynolds finid that recently inquiries from Argentine among New Zealand breeders for stud stock had had to bo turned dowa on account of lack of shipping facilities. He himself was among those nffected so ho spoke with a certain amount of knowledge of tho subject. He thought it was high time the Government or whoever was responsible in. the matter took the situation in hand in order to avoid losing a market that opened up such big possibilities. Thq, Argentine would very'shortly be in need of male stock for both sheep and cattle in large numbers, and the sinio remark nnnlied to Brazil. No country was better able to meet and. satisfy this demand than New Zealand, by virtue of the i special qualities of her sheep for stud purposes. He had sent hundreds of sheen in, the past to the Argentine, and they, in common with other stock exported from New Zealand, had proved to be capable of sen-ice for a. period twice as long as that which stud stotk imuorled from other countries were capable of. He honed that the importance of fostering trade with !?outh /merica in this connection would not bo lost sisht of. Incidentally the speaker pointed out that there was' also an unlimited market for our apples in the Argentine. At a later stage in the proceedings tho matter was again referred to, when the followinc remit was tabled from Gore:"Tliat the Government of the Dominion, be nrtcerl to t'ike steps to open up a market in South America for New Zea> limd-bred stock."

In support of the motion several speakers urged that under present conditions breeders were not able to make the best use possible of stock bred in the country.

At the jnvitation of. the chairman the Director-General of Agriculture made an important statement on the subject, The Department and its Minister, together with the Prime Minister, had a full realisation that it was very necessary in the interests of breeders that thfiv should do what they could to find suitable, outside markets for our purebred stock, and also to provide the necessary shipping. As regards shipping, the Department had been making innuiries during the last twelve months, not only in connection with stock, bitt also in reference to pro duco for which ' new markets were' required. As regards the Argentine, only within the last ten days, following on previous attempts, a letter had been sent by Mr. Ifassey to the shipping authorities, specially with the object of endeavouring to obtain shipping to the Argentine. This applied to purebred stock and to apples.

Mr. Reynolds pointed out that there WiiSj a movement in the Argentine at the l present time to increase tlie horda of milking cattle. This should provide a eood market for our milking Shorthorns, but it was in connection with stud' sheep that there was the greatest scope.

Sir Walter Buchanan .said the remit was of tho highest importance. In New Zealand stock could be raised under more natural conditions than in any other part of the world. This advnntag(» was at present largely lost in our inability to secure markets. Wo should pet shipping access to every part of the world if possible. Sir Walter Buchanan went on to emphasise the serious difficulty producers had to face on account of the shipping combine. The Government of N'ew Zealand—if possible in concert with the. British Governmentshould, endeavour to exercise some control over the- situation. At the- present time New Zealand was at tho dictation of the shipping combine. ■ . ■ • ■ Tho motion was then put and carried unanimously.