FARM FERTILISERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20122, 16 December 1939, Page 16

FARM FERTILISERS

WATCH BY GOVERNMENT ENSURING SUPPLIES The provision of adequate supplies of fertilisers for farmers was being carefully watched, stated the Director of Primary Production, Mr. R. B. Tennett, in a communication to the Waikato District Council of Primary Production. Every effort was being made to ensure the continuance of supplies in ample quantities and at as low a price as possible. Details of the manure position were supplied at the request of the Waikato council. •‘The annual consumption of phosphatic fertiliser in New Zealand is approximately 550,000 tons, made up of 440,000 tons of super or super content fertilisers manufactured in New Zealand, and 110,000 tons of imported phosphates such as basic slag, North African phosphate, and Seychelles and Walpole guanos,” stated Mr. Tennett.

"The present indications are that imports of this latter class will be 25,000 tons less than normal, and that their landed cost will be substantially higher.” Question of Subsidy

“If some scheme were introduced to make ample superphosphate fertiliser available to farmers at £2 a ton, there would be no need for production councils,” said Mr. J. M. Smith, fields superintendent of the Department of Agriculture. He said the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, was at present considering the question of fertiliser subsidy. Other speakers agreed that the keystone to greater production lay in the supply to the land of adequate fertiliser. This involved a question of finance, as it was evident that some farmers were not able to finance sufficient supplies of manure.

Mr. R. H. McKenzie said the position should be met out of war finance, as greater production Was necessary as a war emergency condition. The chairman, Mr. W. Dempster, said that if a subsidy scheme were introduced, the county councils could furnish the Government with the names of farmers who most required assistance.