LUCERNE PLANT TO BEGIN EARLIER

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31843, 22 November 1968, Page 1

LUCERNE PLANT TO BEGIN EARLIER

Production of dried lucerne products in Mid-Canterbury is likely to begin much sooner than expected.

Mr J. N. Dalhoff. senior director of New Zealand Lucerne Products Company, Ltd, a ; company which in- \ eludes Mid-Canterbury interests, said in Wellington yesterday that I the company was buying a plant in New Zealand which would : be moved to Hinds in i the next two months and would begin processing lucerne in February. This would enable process- i ing of the tail end of this 1 season’s lucerne crop and would enable the company to gain experience. The output of the finished | product this season would ■ probably be only about 2000 to 3000 tons, and from this , sample shipments might be I sent overseas, he said. Mr Dalhoff said that Mr A.

|R. Reith, of Ealing, who is la director of the company, ihad signed up an acreage of I lucerne sufficient to keep a imuch larger plant running and the company hoped to i supplement the plant next year. LUCERNE PROBLEM I Confirming that the company has had difficulty getting an import licence for plant, | he said that it still intended Ito bring in the larger plant and had in mind ultimately producing some 30,000 tons a year. A spokesman for Fletcher l Industries, Ltd, which has I shown interest in establishing a similar industry in the 'area, confirmed yesterday; that the company would go! I ahead. I The company proposed to lease the 440-acre property of I Mr A. S. Roberts at Winslow for crop trials and to study I technology, and also to pro-

iduce lucerne for the factory. I The property, which cariries 2000 ewes, already has 65 acres in lucerne, producing 7000 to 10.000 bales of hay a year. Two bores reicently sunk are producing [about 20,000 gallons of water an hour and a third is being [sunk. [ Mr Dalhoff said that the modest start possibly looked ridiculous when customers were clamouring for 150,000 tons a year. Because of that the company regarded Fletchers and the Marlborough lucerne enterprise as colleagues rather than competitors as he felt that together they would not be able to supply all the demand.