FERTILISER RATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23542, 30 December 1939, Page 8

FERTILISER RATES

PENDING SHIPMENTS HIGHER LANDED COSTS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY AWAITED Arrangements have boon entered into by merchants for shipping and freight terms for the importation early in the new year of such fertilisers as phosphates, basic slag, guano and 30-per-cont potash. As landed costs show an increase on phosphates and basic slap; alone of approximately 40 per cent over last year's, the intentions of the Government regarding fertilisers arc now anxiously awaited in view of the intimation by the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, some weeks ago that the Government would ensure there was no material increase in the price. In the meantime farmers have been advised of tho higher landed costs of their orders. Supplies of phosphates arc expected to arrive in January from Northern Africa, and in the circumstances an announcement as to how the Government proposes to meet tho difficulty of higher landed costs is regarded as urgent. In the remarks by Mr. Nash referred to, it seems clear that a subsidy is favoured. In this the Government recognises that adequate supplies of fertilisers arc essential if farm production is to 1)0 maintained or increased, but it is felt by those in touch with the situation that it does not appear to appreciate the need for the prompt announcement of its intentions. Ordering of supplies by importers and farmers cannot at this stage be held up, and the. present delay by the Government is regarded as unfair to the interests concerned. It is stated that the Government has been in touch with fertiliser manufacturing interests on the subject of prices, but this inquiry does not really touch the urgent question of manures landed in tho Dominion for delivery to the farms.