SUPERPHOSPHATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 6

SUPERPHOSPHATES

CONTINUANCE OF SUBSIDY THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION (Peb United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON,. July 4. After going fully and comprehensively into the matter the Government has decided to continue the superphosphate subsidy for another year at the same rate, viz., 11s per ton, according to a statement by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr C. E. Macmillan) to-day. As a result of the discussions with manufacturers the selling price of 44/40 per cent, superphosphate has been reduced from £4 2s 6d to £4 a ton for cash, free on rail, from works in the North Island. It is also the basis of the South Island prices but there the earlier established system of “ free ” or “ fixed ” selling points at which a uniform cash price is charged is arranged, manufacturers bearing all the railage charges from the works and the cash price at each free point being £4 5s per ton. These fixed points are Hornby, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Ravensbourne, Burnside, Balclutha, Gore, and Invercargill, and 5s per ton, representing the railage costs, should operate equitably when regarded as .applying to all southern users of superphosphate. . An examination of past results accruing from the superphosphate subsidy indicates very clearly how it benefited the Dominion (says the statement). The necessity for something being done was realised when the use of pasture top-dressings by dairy farmers began to fall away very noticeably last year, especially in the North Island, and a good reason existed for grave concern regarding the immediate outlook for the volume of dairy produce available for export. Much of the land devoted to intensive dairy farming is of a type which would quickly fall away in productive capacity if not kept adequately fertilised. At the present time with low values for dairy produce existing and with the probability of continuance of low values for a period it is more than ever necessary to _ raise the volume of production to as., high a level as possible, and the key to this lies in fertilising combined with good farming. Before coming to its decision the Government gave careful consideration to the representation* made for extending the subsidy system to other fertilisers than superphosphate, but after examining the position it was decided to continue the subsidy on the existing lines, except as regards the altered selling price arrangements stated above.