PRIMARY PRODUCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1938, Page 13

PRIMARY PRODUCE

MORE COMPETITION

AUSTRALIAN PASTURES

The view that Australia is going to be a much more dangerous competitor with New. Zealand in her main exports of dairy produce and lamb than the Commonwealth has been in the past was expressed in an interview by Sir William Hunt, who returned from Australia by the Wanganella today,.

"The top-dressing of pastures that we have been doing in New Zealand for years and which has been the main cause of our increase in dairy produce and lamb production is just commencing in Australia," said Sir William. "In Victoria, five "years ago, only 15 per cent, of fertilisers used was applied as top-dressing of grass; the remaining 85 per cent, was used for wheat and other crops. This year 60 per cent, of the fertilisers in Victoria is being used to top-dress grass and only 40 per cent, for crops. Further, Victoria alone is this year Importing more phosphate rock than the whole of New Zealand.

"The farming industry in Australia gets m,uch more State assistance than it does, in New Zealand. To give a few examples, the Federal Government pays farmers a subsidy of 10s per ton on all fertilisers used for top-dressing grass. The local consumers of butter pay a substantially higher price than world parity for butter, in order to provide a fund to subsidise butter production. The State Government of New South Wales recently helped the Royal Agricultural Society there to the extent of some sixty thousand pounds to erect buildings on its showgrounds. The New Zealand Royal Agricultural Society gets a Government subsidy of £250."