BEET SUGAR—TASMANIAN PROJECT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 26, 31 January 1924, Page 9

BEET SUGAR—TASMANIAN PROJECT

It has long been suggested that a , large, industry might be established in Tasmania for the production of sugar beet and its milling, and the matter has recently Tjeen put into: concrete form by an expert inquiry conducted for the Government by the manager of the Maffra factory in Victoria. The industry. Tin! Victoria has been established at length, on a firm foundation after many vicissitudes, and Mr. Williams, its manager,' was chosen,as the most competent man. in Australia to advise-the Government' on the, matter. The result of exhaustive investigations made by him cannot be said to be really encouraging, but" -the Minister of. Agriculture has decided;." on^ the strength of it,, to conduct cer_-_ tain experiments in the growing of-'beetT-to. ascertain the sugar content. "CMS" Williams emphasises the fact" that".:the' industry is a most desirable one for Tasmania, but says that the sum of £200,000 ' would be required to establish a" suitable" factory. This, he says, may "Seem-"ijT large investment, but the industry would produce the greater part of that "per annum, and it would absorb and usefully employ a large -amount of labour, promote closer settlement, and help to develop home markets for. other producU.. Beets, he says, after exhaustively- -in-* speeting the different: areas, ..will .proßab"-.". ly grow to great advantage' in mahx parts of Tasmania, but the good so'iland possibilities of irrigation are-so scattered ; andrdisconnected-thig, investigation,.and experiments nee'd to be- conducted—to prove the most favourable areas.—Theso , experiments should take .the fbrm.'.of .hot less than half-acre plots grqwri 'under' Government supervision and under good ordinary farming conditions. It is thes» experiments which the-Minister;has- de-- • cided to carry out, at the same time: he points out H.hat. the "erection of such, a. costly factory; as that' indicated could, ! not.be n^idertaken until the supply' of sugar beet was assured. If j ■ however, the supply was certain and adequate,-the v Government would have to'consider_,th» construction of the factory. Dealing/ in his report, with the reasons "which maka the production .of.. sugaiCieet in . Australia advisable, Mr. WiUiams, says that foreign-grown sugar is ' unreliable in tinies of trouble and difficulty. Queens- ■ land1 aims to- supply Australia -with sugar, but over a long term of year* large quantities have had to be.imported, and it is very doubtful if Queensland can keep pace with the increasing - demand, so that there is room for ths beet sugar in conjunction with the caria sugar industry. Furthermore, beet sugar can more than successfully compete with, cane sugar on a white labour-basis.-* In the United States ol America beet'sugar ■ on a white labour basis produces nearly 1,000,000 tons of sugar, -while "cane;'on a black labour basis, produces about 250,000 tons. . ;:...:;_■;;":.