THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1732, 20 September 1917, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

The following report is furnished by the phief hemp grader (Mr AY. H. Ferris) on his branch of the Division; —The year just ended has been one of continued activity and prosperity for the hemp industry, both in production and export, the demand for our fibre having been extremely keen throughout. The output/ graded exceeded last year’s figures by 11,023 bales, and the prices ruling were a record for the Dominion. The ports of Auckland and Bluff showed an increase of 7,140 and 8,007 bales respectively, and the ports of Foxton and Pieton a decrease of 2,358 and 740 bales respectively. The increase at Auckland and Bluff was due principally to the reopening of a large number of small mills (which had been closed down for years) owing to the highly remunerative prices ruling. The decrease at Foxton was due to floods and certain of the larger mills having to close down some of their strippers owing to shortage of labour. During the winter mouths millers as a rule close down in order to attend to their swamps and to avoid the risk of exposing the flax-bulbs to flic effects of the frost; but this year was an exception, and practically every mill throughout the Dominion, where possible, worked during the whole of the season. The drought in the Manawatu district was responsible, for the destruction by fire of about 800 acres of millablo leaf. Loss by fire does not end with the destruction of the existing crop; the plants arc so weakened that they take a considerable time recovering, and very often arc destroyed outright. Quality of Hemp. —I regret to again have lo slate that during the year there has been a further increase in I lie proportion of lower grades of fibre produced. One of the principal causes of 1 lie production of lower grades was the very small difference in prices offering between good-fair (which should be our standard grade) and fair. At one period during the year London quotations showed only a difference of Ids per lon between (hose grades, and although the difference is now £1 per ton, it is still far loss than is warranted by actual quality. At the prices ruling millers are content to aim at no higher grades than high-fair and low-fair, as a greater output can lie obtained by them and at a less cost of production. The weather conditions on the whole were fairly good for milling, the chief exception being the Auckland district, where the continued wot weather interfered greatly in the production of a good grade of fibre. The green leaf throughout the Dominion, especially in the Manawatu district, was in a decidedly hotter condition than (lie previous year, (ho fibre showing no signs of the blight or tlax grub. This can he attributed to the very heavy Hoods which occurred just at the lime when the grub began to attack the green leaf. Most of the “rejected” hemp which came into the grading stores during the season had been damaged by Hood water. The percentages of good-fair graded at the various ports are: —Auckland, 4' per cent.;. Napier, (10 per cent.,; Wellington, 15 per cent.; Foxton, 24 per cent.; Pieton and Blenheim, 7(1 per cent. ; Bluff, 10 per cent. Quality of low. —The quality of low still leaves room for improvement,and chietand visual defects being lack of cleanliness, or freedom from dnsi and rubbish, and it is to be regretted that millers will not take more care of this by-product. As will be seen from the attached tables, the first and second grades of tow show a decrease of 4 per cent, in each ease, as compared with the previous year, while (he percentages of third grade and condemned arc correspondingly higher. Auckland and Bluff show up worst in quality of tow graded. Although the output of hemp shows an increase of 11,(123 bales, 'that of tow shows a decrease of 1,3G0 bales. The decrease is accounted for by (ho larger proportion of low-grade fibre produced, for which the hemp is scutched to a lesser extent than for higher grades.

Shipper-slips. —The qualify of stripper-slips continues lo improve, the percent age of first-grade showing an increase of 8 per cent, on the previous year. Owing, however, (o the poor demand, combined with-the low prices offered and high freights, millers did not take the trouble to prepare this by-product in any quantify for the market. Shipping-space. —During the year the matter of shipping space presented a very serious difficulty, especially as' regards shipments to the United Kingdom. At one period the port stores were so congested that a large number of millers throughout the Dominion had practically lo cease work for three or four weeks. Fortunately, however, shipping prospects improved, and fairly largo quantities of hemp were also shipped to America and Australia, although at the present time fair quantities are still awaiting .shipment. Prices.—The following were the price-movements for hemp, f.0.b., during the year: April-June/ good fair £34 per ton, high and low fair £33 and £32 per ton respectively; July-September, good fair £3G, other grades £1 less in each case; Oe-tober-Deeember, good fair £39, high fair £3B 10s, low fair £37; JanuaryFebruary, good fair steadily increased from £39 to £4B per ton, and other grades £1 less in each case. During March good fair was quoted at £52 10s, high fair £sllos, and low fair £SO. The price of tow ranged from £9 to £l7 per ton for first grade, with second grade £1

per ton less, fluctuating with the increases in freight and shortage of space in over-sea steamers.