SUGAR MANUFACTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 60

SUGAR MANUFACTURE.

the growing of beet. Fbom Our Own Correspondent.), WELLINGTON. July 19. Replying to a question put by Mr M'Kay (Hawke’s Bay), the Hon. W. Xosworthv to-day gave some interesting- information regarding the growing of beet for sugar manufacture. He said the work of the department fully warranted the statement that beet growing would prove profitable in suitable districts. The first essential in the establishment of a sugar beet industry was that the farmers of any particular district in close proximity to a railway line should guarantee yearly sufficient beets to keep a 500-ton factory working at full capacity for. say, 100 days per serson. A yearly guarantee of 500.000 l?eets was necessary before there would be a likelihood of attracting sufficient capital (either private or public) for investment in a sugar beet factory. The securing of such a guarantee would necessitate the growing of ’OOO acres of beet annually, and it was quite possible that if farmers were prepared (o carry out their portion of the task—namely, the regular growing of sufficient beets to keep a factory employed at full capacity, private enterprise would deal with the manufacturing end of the venture, and inquiries in this direction were in progress.