FARMING AFFAIRS

Lake County Mail, Issue 36, 11 February 1948, Page 8

FARMING AFFAIRS

TRACTOR IMPORTATIONS While additional dollar allowances for the importation of farm tractors and machinery were granted by the New Zealand Government only after protracted negotiations and, finally on the- representations of the Aid for Britain National Council, the Australian Government has placed no restriction under its dollar conservation programme on their importations. In fact, high among the few import items which Australia will not restrict are farm tractors and machinery. Four projects for the manufacture of tractors in Australia are being fostered by the Government, but tractors from those factories are not likely to be available before the middle of the year. Meanwhile, 12,000 farm machines are required to supply long-outstanding requirements and in Australia’s drive for increased food production, no limit has been placed on the dollar allocation necessary for their importation. The additional million dollars now to be allowed by New Zealand will help the position materially in the Dominion, At the same time shortages of certain essential farm machinery units must continue with consequent ill-effects on the over-all production programme. Federated Farmers had been making strong, factual representations on the subject for some time before approaching the Aid for Britain National Council towards the end of last year. The position was then surveyed at various conferences of representatives of the tractor importers, the Aid for Britain Council, Government departments, and Federated Farmers. Then the chairman of the Aid for Britain Council (Mr F. P, Walsh) carried the matter to the Prime Minister and the additional million dollars was subsequently allocated. At that time, while licences for spare parts both from the United Kingdom and the United States of America had been issued in full, tractor import licences had been granted for only 1200 from U.S.A. and 1276 from the United Kingdom. Of the latter 50 were to bq! in the 10 to 17 H.P. class, 750 in the 23 to 30 H.P. class, and 476 in the over 30 H.P, class. No type of class specifications were fixed for the 1200 from U.S.A. Full details have now been formulated of the types required and licences now provide for a proper balance of type and classes of tractors. It is understood that 4000 tractors were available in the United States of America and Canada for export to New Zealand. The implement position so far as import licences are concerned is as follows: —All applications for mowers have been granted in full; siderakes to 66 2-3rds per cent, of application; balers to 25 per cent; corn harvesters in full; combine harvesters to 25 per cent.; tractor made ploughs, harrows, cultivators and binders to 20 per cent,; thresher engines to 75 per cent.