LINEN FLAX CROP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 5 August 1941, Page 8

LINEN FLAX CROP

PURCHASE BY BRITAIN UP TO 25,000 ACRES DOMINION AID IN WAR (Per Press AssociaUci ) WELLINGTON, this day. The Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, announced yesterday dial the Government hart received cabled advice from the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, that arrangement:; tiad been made by him with tin’ British Ministry of Supply whereby, the. United Kingdom Government would buy the linen flax crop from 25.000 acres during the war and one year thereafter, covering the purchase of fibre produced from the acreage which had been sown or for which cultivation had been put in hand before the close of Hostilities between the British Empire and Germany. The purchase would be at already agreed prices for the seasons 1941-42 and 1942-43, and thereafter at prices to be mutually agreed. “This arrangement,” stated Mr. Sullivan, “is most satisfactory to the Government. In order to deal with the straw from the increased acreage it has become necessary to erect a further six factories to process the straw into fibre. Areas of land have been acquired in new districts as follows: Fairlie. Seddon, Geraldine, Gore, Woodlands and Clydevale. Further Acres Required “Reports to date regarding the response from farmers are encouraging, although in some areas further acres arc required. While I have no doubt at all that eventually the whole 25,000 acres will be secured, it would be of great assistance to the agricultural instructors who are negotiating for areas if farmers would immediately advise us of the area of land they will contract for. “The returns obtained by farmers from the growing of linen flax in the past season were quite profitable, varying of course as the areas were more or less suited to the growing of this crop, but generally speaking I farmers should have no hesitation in signing up areas to enable the New Zealand Government to fulfil its obligation to the British Government; Contribution to War Effort- " Linen is essentially a war-time crop and every acre devoted to it, is a direct contribution to the war effort. It is confidently hoped that on the foundations laid in war-time will be built an industry which will develop into a useful part of our future peace-time economy leading to the manufacture of linen flax, spun and. woven products. “Not only are we assisting Britain in the supply of fibre. We have supplied pedigree seed to Britain, to India, Egypt and Australia. It is less than 12 months since we undertook the growing of linen llax for the British Government. Remarkable progress has been made in ,;i few months and it. is of immense satisfaction to me, and to all associated with this industry, that we have been able to supply this seed. The value shipped up to the present is over £35,000, which exceeds the value of the original seed received from the British Government.”