INCREASED OUTPUT OF LIME

Southland Times, Issue 24237, 21 September 1940, Page 12

INCREASED OUTPUT OF LIME

COMPANIES IN NEED OF BAGS The production of lime for agricultural purposes in Southland has been speeded up considerably during the past few weeks. The lime committee of the Farmers’ Union and the Primary Production Council are well pleased with the results of their efforts. The lime companies are to be commended for the thoroughness of their organizetion in producing the maximum tonnage from their plants. To do this a large number of extra men have been employed to enable three shifts to operate each 24 hours. The chief limiting factor to the output of lime during the past 10 days has been a shortage of bags. One company could have placed an extra 400 tons on trucks had bags been available. It is impossible for a lime company to make up the lost tonnage as they are flat out all the time that bags are available. The company concerned owns 65,000 sacks, but they had all been loaded out to farmers who had not returned them.

It can thus be seen that it is necessary for farmers to keep up the supply of bags to the lime works and that any failure to do so will considerably accentuate the shortage of lime. Farmers who require lime in their own bags for October delivery are advised to send in the bags immediately. Empty sacks are often subject to delay in delivery on the railways as accumulations of truck or part truck loads- sometimes take place at central points before they are sent on to the lime works. Further, at the works sorting and mending of bags takes a certain amount of time.

On account of these and other reasons empty bags should be sent on to lime works to ensure expeditious delivery, particularly during the rush demand period of September, October, November and December. It is a case of farmers helping themselves in this matter, as it is one that the Primary Production Committee cannot solve for them.