NO DEMAND FOR IMPORTED HAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22655, 4 June 1948, Page 3

NO DEMAND FOR IMPORTED HAY

Farmers in the Gisborne district have not yet shown any keenness to secure supplies of imported hay for winter feeding. There Is a good deal of locallygrown hay still available, some of it slightiy deteriorated owing to water penetration during the tlood, but still useable. Passage of time will undoubtedly make this hay unsuitable for feeding to dairy stock in particular, but farmers are passing it around for immediate use and doing quite well with it in its present condition. A prominent merchant stated today that there was a distinct lack of interest in imported supplies for the time being. An offer of 2000 bales for quick delivery had been received from the Bay of Plenty and had been relayed to a meeting of farmers without attracting any inquiries. This was partly accounted for by the fact that hay made from paspalum—which is the kind available from the Bay of Plenty—is not particularly popular here.

Merchants have supplies at present to meet * the immediate demand in Gisborne, and good unthreashed meadow hay is selling at 0s per bale, with threshed lines at about 4s (id, plus cartage. It is expected that in two months more hay will be required, and this should be available from the South Island.