WOOL MARKET

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1930, Page 6

WOOL MARKET

RISE OF SOUTH AFIUCA

AUCKLAND, May 13

In the near future Snuth Africa may become n serious competitor lor Australia and New Zealand in the wool market ol the world. This statement was made by Mr T. l'liilcox, of Auckland, who' returned by the Himaroa from an extended holiday trip. Accompanied by Mrs Phileox, he spent about 18 months in South Africa, visiting Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town. “South Africa is a country with a great future,” Mr Phileox said. “Wool production is being undertak"en seriously, and there are now a I writ 40,1)00,000 sheep in the Union. The South African sheep farmers are paying up to £SOOO for stud rams from. Australia. They have some fine grazing country, and labour is absurdly cheap. It costs only a halfpenny to shear a sheep.” 'l’he country was so varied that inumerous crops could he grown in different parts, Air l’liilcox said, bruit farms had been developed to a wonderful extent, an illustration of. the growth being provided by the fact that one* fruit farmer lost 250(1 tons of fruit in one hailstorm.

“Small quantities of New Zealand butter are exported to South Africa, Mr Phileox said. “A surprising lcature is that it is sold at Is Gel a pound, whereas South . African butter, to my mind much inferior, is sold at Is 9d a pound. Naturally New Zealand could not build up a large export trade in butter at Is 6d, but I am of opinion that there is a large and important market for our butter in South Africa waiting development. There are difficulties in. shipping of course, as there is no direct communication between the two countries.

Mr Phileox mentioned that Kimberley, once the centre of the dia-mond-mining district, was now to all intents and purposes a dead town.. No mining was being carried out owing to an attempt to regulate the diamond market.