OTAGO PHOSPHATE

Grey River Argus, 26 March 1943, Page 4

OTAGO PHOSPHATE

SUCCESSFUL WORKING ' British Assistance DELIVERIES ALREADY BEING MADE. P.A. WELLINGTON, March 25. “The prospects of securing., considerable quantities of both high and low grade phosphate from the Clarendon phosphate deposits appear to he particularly bright,” said the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Barclay) tonight, in announcing that explorative work carried out there by the Government and the British Phosphate Commis'oners during the past four months had shown the practicability ot exploiting the Clarendon deposits. The Minister said that the British Commiss.on which was responsible for the- quarrying of high grade rock at Clarendon was already making deliveries to South Island manufacturers. The commissioners anticipate that total deliveries for the ensuing twelve months will be approximately twelve thousand tons. In regard to low grade deposits, extensive borings have been carried out by the Mines Department which conclusively showed that large quantities of fertilising material are available. The Government intends to exploit these low grade deposits to the fullest extent, and arrangements are being made with the objective of quarrying twenty thousand tons of low grade phosphate within the next twelve months, while the possibilities of processing fertiliser with higher phosphatic content from the low grade rock are being investigated. Mr Barclay said that the- prospects of obtaining large quantities of both high and low grade phosphate from Clarendon are particularly gratifying. The steps taken by the British Phosphate Commission and the Government to exploit the deposits would have a bearing on the Dominion’s production economy in the direction of augmenting deliveries from overseas.