GRAIN FOR POULTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 13

GRAIN FOR POULTRY

Sir,—Here are some facts which I thought might be of interest to Mr. P. Field and other poultry producers re the shortage of pollard. There is an acute shortage of pollard throughout the Dominion. All merchants seem to be in the same position, being unable to supply the full requirements of their customers. This shortage has been more or less acute during the last four months. Pollard is admitted free of duty, but supplies are short in Australia nlso. The price lias gone up £1 10s during the last three weeks. The position is the same in Tasmania. The only other possible source of supply is Canada, but merchants are not disposed to import from Canada, because of the inferior quality of pollard from that country. The position will probably ease up in about a month's time, when the new season's wheat comes in. Increased imports of flour have had a very definite influence on the shortage of pollard. It is understood that the Department of Industries and Commerce is going into the matter of endeavouring to arrange for the importation of wheat instead of flour, in order that the local supplies of bran and pollard may be correspondingly increased. Neither the merchants nor the Government were able to suggest anv means whereby the shortage of pollard might be overcome The fact that there is no duty on pollard gives merchants the opportunity of securing supplies from any market in the world, and it is obvious that they would have taken steps to obtain supplies from overseas had it been possible to do so at reasonable prices, lhe Minister of Industries and Commerce has promised to i nvcs t^£a to tl^^position.