NEW INDUSTRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 727, 29 July 1929, Page 10

NEW INDUSTRY

TOBACCO GROWING ON BIG SCALE CATERING FOR OVERSEAS TRADE During the season 1924-25 250 acres were under cultivation and in tobacco in New Zealand. Last season that area had been increased to 1,400 acres, and indications are that within the next five years tobacco growing will have developed into an important primary industry within the Dominion. In the past the cultivation of tobacco in New' - Zealand lias been undertaken principally by the small farmer, who has been prepared to take on the growing of the leaf as a side-line. For the most part he has been guaranteed a market by one of the manufacturing companies operating in New Zealand. Within the last twelve months or so commercial enterprise has entered the field on a wide scale, however, and plans are already laid for the cultivation of the tobacco leaf on a big scale on specially selected blocks of land in the North, principally in the Riverhead district. On Saturday last a party of Auckland business men, directors of the newly-formed Empire Tobacco Corporation, visited several properties at Riverhead, where ground is being made ready for the planting of experimental plots with a view to laying down several hundred acres in different blocks next season. On one block in particular the .ground appeared particularly well suited to the growing of tobacco. Lying well to the sun, the general contour is such that it lends itself to almost perfect drainage. The soil is friable and gives every indication that with manuring and cultivation it could be worked up sufficiently to grow any class of crop. It is ideally suited to the growing of tobacco. Yet, the land in question, is that which a year or so ago was regardd as “waste gum land.” The Empire Tobacco Corporation has everything under way to start planting on a big scale next year. Bonds are now being offered to the public and, as these are taken up, arrangements will be made to have their equivalent in acreage put down in tobacco. Thp company is erecting all the plant necessary for the handling and marketing of the leaf and will attend to the planting, cultivation and harvesting. Bondholders will receive the i)et profit on sales, less the company’s charges. Basing their assumption on a conservative estimate, the promoters reckon on the bondholders receiving a net return of at least £3O an acre. While it is intended to compete for a share of the New Zealand home consumption trade, the main aim of the company will be to build up an overseas demand by shipping to the London and other markets. Success in Nelson and other parts of the Dominion have proved that to-bacco-growing has passed out of the experimental stage in New Zaland. The operations of the Empire Tobacco Corporation will be watched with considerable interest.

MARKETING WOOL REALISATION BOARD WANTED (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. A general improvement in the methods of handling and marketing New Zealand wools is asked for by the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. A committee consisting of Messrs. Bowen, J. Preston, J. D. Revie, J. F. Neal, R. S. Chadwick and J. 11. Joll recommended that it would be to the advantage of the wool growers of New Zealand to establish a Wool Realisation Board, the functions of the board being to collect, sort and offer all wools of uniform quality is as big lots as possible in different centres. In the committee’s opinion the cost of the scheme would be less than at present, owing to the centralisation of sorting. The advantage to the buyer would be the smaller number of lots and assurance of quality in lots, giving greater confidence. Mr. W. J. Poison considered that the suggestions were along the right lines. He referred to wool substitutes and pointed out that the wool growers were in jeopardy. lie considered it was a sound plan to advertise wool, and he thought an advertising campaign would keep wool before the world. Mr. Bowen (Gisborne) expressed the opinion that advertising was useless without control. Mr. J. D. Revie (Otago) considered that wool was placed on the market in a most slipshod way at present. He considered the conference should send a strong deputation to the Government on the matter. Present marketing conditions resulted in losses of hundreds of thousands of pounds to the growers. Mr. W. H. Allen (Auckland) pointed out that today was a day of combination, and unless combination was met with combination the farmers would be left. Mr. IT. B. Stuckey (Dannevirke) moved that the conference approve of more efficient marketing of wool. The motion was carried unanimously.

JOLL DAIRY COMPANY AN INTERESTING RECORD Press Association HAWERA, Saturday. An important event in the life, not only of the Joll Co-operative Dairy Company, but also of the district and its principal industry, the 21st anniversary of the founding of the company, was celebrated at Manaia yesterday when suppliers and other representatives of the dairy interests attended the anniversary dinner. Mr. J. B. Murdoch, chairman of directors, presided. The company grew from the business established in the early days by Mr. A. L. Joll, on whose death in 100 S the company was formed. Figures quoted from the company records showed that the total butter-fat increased in 20 years by 1,287,0001 b. The payout for 10 years had averaged Is 9.37 d, the highest being 2s 1.37 d, and the lowest in a slump year. Is 3.8 d. There had been an increase in that time of 40,000 cows and the cheese made had increased by 009,000 crates. BUTTER AND CHEESE Merchants report receipt of overseas cables as follow: A. H. Turnbull and Company, from their London principals, W. Weddel and Company, under date July 26:—Butter: Danish, 171 s to 1735; New Zealand, unsalted, 16Ss to 1725; salted, 169 s to 1725; market slow. New Zealand cheese, white, SBs to S9s; coloured, 92s to 935; market slow. Amalgamated Dairies, Ltd., from their London office, dated July 27:—Butter: Our prices, Anchor 1745, and market generally unchanged, but some signs of improving demand now appearing; Danish, 172 s on spot, 166 s f.0.b.: deliveries New Zealand, 72G tons; stock, 5.249 tons. Retails unchanged. Cheese: "White, STs to SBs; coloured, 91s to 925; market very slow; Canadian, white, S7s to BSs; coloured, 90s to 91s on spot. Retail unchanged. The Bank of New Zealand, from its London office, as at the close of business last week: —Butter, dull, 1725. Cheese, dull; white, Sils to S9s; coloured, 925.