THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1944. PHOSPHATES FROM U.S.A.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32420, 19 April 1944, Page 4

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is Incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. “Public Service.” WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1944. PHOSPHATES FROM U.S.A.

Supplies of fertilisers are essential to any increase in the output of foodstuffs, and the Government has stated that it is endeavouring to obtain additional quantities. Shipping probably is one of the chief difficulties to be overcome, but in view of the proved capacity of the Dominion to increase output, provided fertilisers can be made available, the claims of this country for a, high place on any order of priority cannot be questioned. Nothing has been heard of Nauru or Ocean Islands of late, and in any case it probably would take some time for the resumption of shipments from' those sources. Mention has been made from time to time to the possibility of obtaining phosphates from the United States, and r,ecent reports show that production there has increased rapidly. In 194142 the output totalled 5,144,000 tons, and prior to the war it was only 3,500,000 tons. Last year the total reached 5,600,000 tons, and it is expected that this year the record level of 7,000,000 tons will be reached. The American firms have been turning out a concentrated form of phosphate in order to save shipping space and according to one journal large quantities have been supplied to Allied countries under the terms of the lend-lease agreement. If arrangements could be made for deliveries of the concentrated article (45.7 per cent, pent-oxide content) it could be treated here and made available to farmers. This would be one of the most useful purposes to which lend-lease could be put. It would go a long way to solving the problem of increasing production.