FERTILISER FOR SOUTH ISLAND

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27734, 11 August 1955, Page 2

FERTILISER FOR SOUTH ISLAND

Farmers’ Co-operative Works Suggested VIEWS OF MEAT BOARD CHAIRMAN

Production in the South Island was being kept behind because* of the lack of superphosphates available to the farmers; the right course would be to build farmers’ co-operative fertiliser works, first in Southland and then perhaps in Timaru, said the chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board (Mr D. Ormond) when he spoke yesterday to the meat and wool section of Federated Farmers in Christchurch. There was money in the pool accounts, and to invest it in such r rejects was sound from the business and productive points of view, Mr Ormond said. It would build,up the fertilisation of the soil, and build up productivity. The farmers had been at the beck and call of the fertiliser industry in this country. ”1 blame ourselves for not waking up before to the need to doing things ourselves, and push ahead the progress of the country," said Mr Ormond. In answer to a question about the possibility of the board being able to keep private enterprise out of the fer* tiliser industry, Mr Ormond said that unless the move was made by the farmers themselves in the South island the island would be tied up for, the next 50 yean. They should decide right away. The board could only spend its funds in agreement and collaboration with the Government. Mr L. C. Gardiner said farmers were concerned that as soon as mention had been made of the proposed Tauranga works, the proprietary works in Auckland had decided to build a works at Morrinsville. Mention had been made of a South Island works, and then there was the proposed private enterprise works for Gore. If there was to be only 6ne, said Mr Ormond, it should be the farmers'. Works should be fully co-operative. Some people said co-operatives went out 30 years ago, but that was because the farmers of the country were disunited and gave them very little real backing.