Emergency airlift to save N.Z. wheat crop

Press, 14 November 1981, Page 19

Emergency airlift to save N.Z. wheat crop

The first batch of the energy airlift of the chemical Bayleton has arrived in New Zealand. The special emergency production run and airlift was arranged by Bayer New Zealand for treatment of South Island cereal crops which are being decimated by Yellow Stripe Rust, a particularly virulent fungal infection. Bayleton is the only available treatment for the. epidemic and intense application by Canterbury farmers in recent weeks has com-

pletely exhausted supplies of the product in New Zealand and Australia. The special batch of fungicide was formulated in the Bayer Leverkusen plant in West Germany and the company combined its efforts with those of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Air New Zealand to speed the passage of the containers to New Zealand. The shipment was carried by Air France to Los Angeles where an Air New Zealand DCS cargo jet was heid over to tranship the load to Well-

ington. A special fast track customs clearance has been obtained and Bayer’s Petone factory will work 24 hours a day to repack the bulk consignment into containers suitable for air and ground application. Supplies are expected to arrive in Christchurch in the next few days and application by farmers and contractors will begin immediately. It is expected that two or three special emergency shipments will be needed before the summer harvest.