VALUABLE AGAR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 33, 9 February 1943, Page 2

VALUABLE AGAR

MADE IN DOMINION FORMER JAP. MONOPOLY (0.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Maori men, women and children collecting a special type of seaweed on the coast of the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand scientists who evolved special processes, and Christchurch workmen and women who carry out those processes, have broken a world monopoly held by Japan in the production of agar. Agar, which is of vital importance in bacteriological work, in medicinal work and in meat canning, is being produced in a factory which was visited last week by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, and the Post-master-General, Mr. Webb. Mr. Fraser was particularly interested in the explanation of agar production. It was pointed out that the New Zealand produced article has twice the value of Japanese, agar, partly as a result of the seaweed used, which is peculiar to the Pacific, and partly owing to the process evolved. , The New Zealand process was developed on original lines as P a *"t of the Japanese process consisted of taking the seaweed into the mountains, where the air played a special part in the manufacture. Such a method could not be adopted in the Dominion, so a system had to be evolved to replace the natural process. A few rough principles which play their part in the Japanese method were known to the New Zealand scientists, but for the rest they had to be pioneers. As a result of their industry and ingenuity an article now twice as good as the Japanese article is being turned out, and will be produced m even bigger quantities in the future. Three or four months were spent in preparatory work before production could begin.