LOADING PORTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17954, 5 December 1932, Page 10

LOADING PORTS

DOMINION EXPORT TRADE FARMERS’ UNION REPORT An important aspect of the vital problem of effecting a readjustment between production costs and selling prices of produce (states the Dominion) is the uneconomic system of handling the export trade in numerous coastal ports, which is discussed in a report by the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. The report points out that in the North Island there are four loading ports where vessels trading with Great Britain can berth alongside wharves—viz., Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, and Opua : in the South Island there are six—viz,., Picton, Lyttelton, Tirnaru, Oamarn, Port Chalmers, and Bluff. There are five open or roadstead ports in the North Island —-viz., ‘Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui, Waikokopu and Tokomaru Bay, where all work is carried out bv lighters, but only one in the South Island—Nelson.

Of the tonnage handled in 1930, the main ports handled 5.019,085 tons, or 68.1 per cent., the secondary ports 1.566.107 tons, or 21.2 per cent., and the minor ports 787,108 tons, or 10.7 per cent.

NINE PORTS FOR DAIRY PRODUCE

Of the 16 ports on the New Zealand coast, at which ocean-going vessels call, dairy produce is shipped at Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth, Gisborne, Napier. Wanganui, Lyttelton, Timaru, Port Chalmers, and Bluff.

Of the 107 different loadings of dairy produce for the season 1931-32, three were loaded at one port, 14 at two ports, 22 at three ports, 36 at four ports, 21 at five ports, 9 at six ports, one loaded at seven ports, and one at eight ports. Averaged out on the 107 vessels, the number of ports called at for dairy produce is slightly under four per vessel Nelson, Picton, Opua, Oamaru, and Waikokopu average out about one ship per month. The order of tonnage of butter loaded for the year ended December 31, 1931, was :—(1) Auckland, 70,424 tons ; (2) Wellington, 12.497 tons: (3) New Plymouth, 9440 tons: (4) Lyttelton, 2049 tons: (5) Napier, 2021 tons; (6) Wanganui, 1981 t n ns ; (7) Gisborne, 1759 tons: (81 Port Chalmers, 617 tons; (9) Bluff, 499 lons.

The amounts of cheese loaded at the various ports were:—(l) Wellington. 17.817 tons; (2) Auckland. 17.224 tons: (31 New Plymouth, 17.183 tons: (4) Bluff. 12.924 tons; (51 Port Chalmers, 2131 tons; (6) Wanganui, 1690 tons; (7) Timaru, 824 tons: (8) Lyttelton, 703 tons; (91 Napier, 125 tons; (10) Gisborne. 39 tons POLICY OF DAIRY BOARD

As far as the dairy industry is eon earned, an effort will he made by the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board to reduce the number of ports of loading for the majority of steamers. The hoard’s idea is to concentrate its loadings on the so-called “time-table” passen- or ships as much as possible, and give them larger quantities of dairy produce fit the main dairy produce ports, Auckland. New Plymouth, Wellington and Bluff. This would mean, with the increased quantities of butter and cheese, that these vessels would not he required to visit so many ports. Other ships could visit the out-ports where there might he large loadings of frozen meat and wool.

Auckland. Wellington, New Plymouth and '’luff ship about 90 per cent, of the Dominion’s butter and cheese. Auckland and Wellington would probably require to ho served by most steamers, with, sav. Now Plymouth and Bluff by alternate ships. The principal loadings of fresh fruit for the English market during 1931 wcr*:—(l) Wellington 9193 tons: (2) Port Chalmers 3464 tons; (3) Auckland. /ll9 ° i tons; (41 Nelson, 1543 tons; (5) Lyttelton, 969 tons. FIFTEEN FROZEN MEAT PORTS During the whole of 1931 the followin" loadings of frozen meat took place: Q) Wcllingiton, 44 558 tons: (2) Lvttelton, 29 519 tons; (3.1 Auckland, 20.077 hms: (4) Napier, 17.918 tons; (5) Bluff, 1 6 54 1 tons; (6) Wanganui, 14.756 tons; '7) Gisborne. 13.510 tons: (8' New Plymouth, 13,050 tons; (9) Timaru, 13,049 tons: (10) Port Chalmers, U. 496

tons; (11) Oamaru, 5400 tons; (12) Tokomaru Buy, 2483 tons; (13) Picton, 2346 tons ; (14) Opua, 2243 • tons; (15) Nelson, 453 tons.

The aim of both the Meat and Dairy Boards has been to spread as evenly as possible the delivery of their commodities on the English market, thus preventing large quantities of primary produce at long intervals producing “gluts.” This policy naturally increases tin; number of loading ports for each vessel.

When, some time ago, the Oversea Shipowners’ Allotment Committee was approached to reduce the number of ports visited by ocean-going vessels to complete their cagoes, the reply was made that the “committee always endeavors to minimise the number of ports of call for vessels as far as the contracts with the meat and dairy produce boards will permit.” The present policy as regards freight costs between New Zealand and London is a flat rate of £5 per ton, irrespective of the port of departure, time in handling, port charges and facilities,