FARM FERTILIZERS

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1931, Page 6

FARM FERTILIZERS

THE STATE’S AID

(By Telegraph —Per Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, June 24. The encouragement given by the Government to fanners to keep fertilising their Land in order to obtain greater production was the subject of a reference by the Minister of Agriculture in an address at the National Dairy Conference to-day. Concession rates had been provided in recent years, he said, for the carriage of lime and fertilisers. In 1914- the amount of fertilisers imported into the Dominion was 100,009 tons, but in 1920 it was 315,176 tons. The enormous increase was to a large extent made'possible by the Government’s assistance, for between 1926-27 and 193031, the

Government had expended £337.604. in the carriage oiS fertilisers. Between 1924-25 and the „present day. the carriage of lime had necessitated the expenditure of £202,000 from the Consolidated Fund. The Government, however, could not do everything, and to take money out of the Consolidated Fund was merely one way of taking it

! indirectly out of the farmers’ pockets. ' The sum of £IOO,OOO had been provided recently for the purchase of fertilisers. At first it had been decided to administer this fund through the) Rural Intermediate Credits Board, but it was found that there was not sufficient elasticity, and the system had been altered, until now it was satisfactory. Many inquiries had been made, and considerable assistance had been given. It was a step in the right direction, although the facilities available were, apparently, not as widely known as they ought to be. Jn

return for its £IOO,OOO, the Government earnestly entreated the farmers

to concentrate on making use of the opportunity, and on keeping their pastures well fertilised, with the object 1 ' of increasing production.