FERTILISER PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 June 1941, Page 3

FERTILISER PROBLEM

QUESTION OF RATIONING SHEEP BREEDERS’ VIEWPOINT. NO ACTION TAKEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The question of whether stud breeders should ask the Government for a special allowance of fertiliser under the rationing scheme was discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders’ Association in Wellington yesterday. It was decided to take no action. Mr R. W. Matthews, Featherston, said that strong country might be able to go for a year or two without topdressing, but poorer land, such as his own, would drift back.

“I think it would be very foolish to try to interfere with the rationing, which is based on amounts used in other years,” said Mr L. R. Wilton. Masterton. “We are not the only industry in the country. The Government is asking for more cheese, and if anyone wants more fertiliser, dairyfarmers do.” Sir William Perry said he understood that the rationing referred only to phosphate, and that supplies of other fertiliser mixtures were to be the same as before. The rationing papers were “a Chinese puzzle.” Only one hundredweight an acre was allowed for swedes, which was ridiculous. This showed that the papers had been prepared by someone “not well up in his job.”

Mr J. A. McLeod, Martinborough, said that committees were being set up to control the allocation of available fertiliser on the same ratio as last year. For crops and new grasses, he had been told, probably the whole amount would be available. The committees would then allocate what was left for top-dressing.