INCREASED PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1940, Page 9

INCREASED PRODUCTION

FERTILISERS IN DEMAND. DELIVERY MORE SATISFACTORY. There is every reason to feel gratified that there has been such a large and vigorous increase in demand for fertilisers and this must inevitably be reflected in increased primary production of all kinds, states Mr N. Lamont, of the Department of Agriculture, Masterton. The fact remains, however, that from the individual farmer’s point of view, very considerable difficulty has arisen through the inability of the manufacturers, despite very great increases in output, to make delivery within a reasonable time after the placing of orders. At the present, the situation is more satisfactory than it has been for some months but it is not impossible that it may deteriorate as the spring demand rises. Delays will, of course, be particularly serious for those whose cropping programme has been greatly expanded in response to recent appeals. There are two ways in which this can be overcome —the first is, obviously, by placing orders as far as possible in advance of anticipated requirements and the second is by all concerned doing their best to ensure that fertiliser for crops is given preference over that required for grassland.

There is no denying that spring topdressing of pasture, particularly on paddocks intended for hay or silage, is highly important but neither is there any argument that a hundredweight of super under a crop will yield a greater gross return than a hundredweight of super on a pasture. In short, it would be in the general interests of production wherever any difficulty or delay is experienced in obtaining delivery of fertilisers, if crops were given first consideration and pasture top-dressing carried on after that. So that if farmers will advise their firms when ordering, of the urgency of the purpose for which the fertiliser is required, steps may then be taken to see that urgent crop demands receive preference.