NANUFACTURE OF BEST-ROOT SUGAR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 59, 3 November 1880, Page 4

NANUFACTURE OF BEST-ROOT SUGAR.

. The Local Industries Association. at Ashburton, some time ago, appointed . a sub-committee to enquire into, and report upon, the prospects of beetroot- sugar manufacture in that district. The following preliminary report was submitted at a recent meeting of the Association: — Your Committee have the honor to report as follows xipon the subject of enquiry submitted to them, namely, the suitability of this district for the manufacture of sugar fvom beetroot : — Having held several meetings and duly considered all the information upon the subject immediately available, your Committee find that it would be quite impossible for them at present to report definitely as to the prospect of beet-root sugar manufacture in this district, or to reduce to absolute figures the cost and probable profits of the proposed undertaking. Before this can be done, and a really reliable report produced, it will be essential — first, that much more explicit information than is at present at command should be obtained with respect to the cost of plant and erection of same; and ' secondly, that it should be ascertained by actual experiment what per-centage of sugar may be calculated on in beet grown in this district. But while for the reasons stated your Committee are unable to recommend that any attempt should foemadeto eßtablishthe industry in question until much more minute enquiry has been made, they have been able so far to examine the subject as to draw certain general conclusions ■which they think it will be desirable to state. Assuming the accuracy of the figures respecting this industry laid before the Assembly in 1876, there can be no question of its being immensely profitable when carried on in a suitable locality with a safe market at hand. As to the market in New Zealand, it may be mentioned that last year the amount of money sent out of the colony for sugar reached the enormous sum of .£509,110, and that upon the sugar so imported the duty paid was ,£85,738. As far as can at present be judged, there is no liklihood of the existing duty being further reduced ; but on the contrary, it seems far more probable, in^the present financial position of New Zealand, that the former duty of one penny per pound will be again imposed. Nor, on the other hand, is it at all likely that any . excise duty would at present be imposed upon sugar- manufactured in the polony. It is evident, from the figures above stated, that the consumption of sugar within the colony is so large that the manufacture would need to be on a considerable scale to supply even a very small fraction of the demand. There need, therefore, be no anxiety felt as to the probable market, provided the manu-' faatuxers ca» supply a good article at a, somewhat cheaper rate than imported sugar. The figures which your Committee have been able to examine point strongly to the conclusion that this can be done, and that a large margin of profit will remain, after making every allowance for the higher cost of labor and other requisites in the colony than on the Continent. The capital necessary to starta^ugar factory upon such a scale as would hold out a reasonable hope of success cannot be estimated at less than .£50,000. Being aware of the difficulty of obtaining the. m;<3Qßßa,r.y funtis for ventures of this nature within the colony, your Committee think it will be desirable to ascertain if there would be a prospect, in the event of a company being started to undertake the manufacture, of enlisting the assistance of English capitalists. This, with the permission of the Association, they propose to do. So far m preliminary enq dries among agriculturists of experience in the district can be accepted as a guide, there is no doubt that the soil and climate of Ashburton district are eminently suitable for the growth of the beet. A circular was sent some , weeks ago to a number of these gentlemen, asking them if they would consent to put down a small experimental patch of beet-root during the present season, and informing them that some of the proper seed (White Silesian) had been procured. So little interest, however, appears to ' be taken in the subject, that not a single answer has been received to any of these circulars. Your Committee have, nevertheless, hopes of being able to carry out the object sought by other means, and thus to obtain samples for analysis from various points in the district. Your Committee further beg to state that enquiries have been set afoot in Europe, with a view to obtaining that additional information on their subject of enquiry which, as above stated, will be absolutely indispensable before an ( exhaustive report on the matter can he made. Your Committee then hope to be able to submit to the Association a further and more satisfactory report. In conclusion, your Committee desire to state that they have not thought, it necessary to dwell at length on the immense advantages which would occur to the -district from the successful acclimatisation here of the beet sugar manufacture. It may, however, be well to mention that the benefits are not con- - tilled to the mere cheapening of sugar, or to the retention and expenditure -within the colony of the money now *<m 6 abroad for the- putdi&pe' of thaj,t

article. The collateral advantages nvust BOfc be lost sight of. These are the immense improvement to the soil ■where the beet crops are grown — an invariable result on the Continent — and also the use of the pulp for cattle food, for which purpose it has been shown by incontestable evidence to be most valuable. There are many other matters upon which your Committee would desire to express their views when they present their final report. In the meanwhile they can only ask the Association to extend the time for bringing up that report until full information is to hand.