LIME SUPPLIES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 73, Issue 6284, 23 September 1946, Page 5

LIME SUPPLIES

INADEQUATE PROVISION MADE There seems to be little possibility of any great increase in the quantity of lime available in the near future, says a southern writer. About the most frequently heard complaint among farmers in the last few months is the difficulty of getting lime. Initially of course, the present situation is the result of an underestimation before the war of the probable requirements of lime. One large southern works, for instance, installed machinery just before the war capable of turning out 40,000 tons a year, and believed that it was equipped to deal with the full possible demand for many years. It has had recently to expand its capacity to something like 500 tons a day, and is still behind with orders.

Many companies have been trying desperately to get more machinery, but that is a slow process. A company which a year ago ordered from Australia machinery which would have doubled its capacity, was told at the time that there would be six to nine months’ delay. A year has gone by, and the latest advice the company has received is that the manufacturers cannot say When the machinery will be delivered. Nobody can be blamed for this; but as lime has become almost as essential to farming as rain, some steps should be taken to see that adequate supplies are available.