LINEN FLAX

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 251, 5 August 1941, Page 3

LINEN FLAX

CONTRACT WITH BRITAIN. AREA OF 25,C00 ACRES WANTED.

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 4. The Hon. D. G. Sullivan announced to-day that the. Government had received cable advice from Mr Fraser that arrangements had been made by him with the Ministry of Supply, by which the United Kingdom Government would buy the linen flax crop from 25,000 acres during the war and one year thereafter, covering the puichase of fibre produced from the acreage which had been sown or .for which cultivation had been put in hand before the close of hostilities between the British Empire and Germany. The purchase will he at the already agreed prices for seasons 1941-42 and 1942-43, and thereafter at prices to he mutually agreed. “This arrangement,” said Mr Sullivan, “is most satisfactory to the Government'. hi order to deal uitli tastraw from the increased acreage it lias become necessary to erect a further six factories to process the straw into fibre. Areas of land have been acquired in new districts as follow: Fairlie, Seddon, Geraldine, Gore,Woodlands and Clydcvale. “Reports to date ■ regarding the response from farmers are encouraging, although in some areas further acres are required. While 1 have no doubt at all that eventually the whole 20,000 acres will be secured, it would be oi great assistance to the agricultural instructors who • are negotiating foi areas if farmers would immediately advise ns of the area of land they will contract for. The returns obtained by farmers from the growing of linen flax last season were profitable, varying as the areas were more or less suited to the growing of this crop, but, generally speaking, farmers should have no hesitation in'signing up areas to enable, the New Zealand Government to fulfil its obligation to the British Government.

“Linen flax is essentially'a wartime crop and every acre devoted to it is a direct contribution to the war effort. It is confidently hoped that on the foundations laid in war-time will he built an industry which will develop into a useful part of our future peacetime economy leading to the manufacture of linen flag spun and woven products. Not only are we assisting Britain in the supply of fibre. We have supplied pedigree seed to Britain and to India, Egypt and- Australia. It is less than 12 months since we undertook the growing of linen flax for the British Government. Remarkable progress has been made in a few months, and it is of immense satisfaction to me and to all associated with this industry that we have been able to supply- this seed. The value shipped up to the' present is more than .£35,000, which exceeds the value of the original seed received from the British Government.