PRICE OF FERTILISERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 24, 27 July 1929, Page 17

PRICE OF FERTILISERS

NORTH AND SOUTH DISPARITY

Tho disparity in the prices of fertilisers in the North and South Islands was a question discussed by a Farmers' Union deputation to the Hon. G. W. Forbes (Minister of Agriculture) and the Hon. J. G. Cobbo (Minister of Industries and Commerce) yesterday. The deputation represented a number of branches of the Farmers' Union in Southland, Otago, and Canterbury, and was accompanied by Mr. R. W. Huwkc, Mr. E. F. Healy, and Mr.' J. Bitchener, M.P.'s. Figures were produced demonstrating that, although raw material for the manufacture of fertiliser was landed in all the main ports of the Dominion'at the siimu cost, southern quotations for Ilic product wcro 10s to lls higher than charged to North Island fanners. Mr. Forbes replied that he was not surprised that the discrepancy between tho North and South Island prices left a feeling of dissatisfaction in the minds of southern farmers, especiallyas tho raw material was sold to all manufacturers at the same price in both islands. As there was every prospect of the demand for fertilisers in the South Island increasing steadily year by year, the extra imposition was increasingly severe, and ho undertook vto go into the matter with the manufacturers to see if the South Island could be placed on. equality with the North in respect to quotations.