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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16723, 26 April 1920, Page 2

Taranaki farmers, in common with those of other parts of the Dominion, have found themselves unable during the past five or six years to obtain sufficient supplies of artificial manures to maintain, let alono to increase, the carrying capacity of their land. For that reason, although high prices have compensated them, they have not been able to add much to the exportable surplus of produce. With an abundance of artificial fertilisers, when available, they will be able to increase their production to an extent which it may be hoped will more than make good any loss experienced through falling prices, for prices will fall in a year or two. In the past artificial fertilisers have chiefly been imported, but in the near future it is hoped that there will be large supplies of New. Zealand manufacture on the market. A great number of Taranaki farmers are shareholders in the New Zealand Farmers! Fertiliser Co., Ltd.,'which is looked to for supplies to fill the gap. The company has had very great difficulties to face, but these are now in the way of being overcome. From Mr. J. S. Counett, who represents Taranaki shareholders on the directorate of the company, we learn that the works at Tepapa are nearing completion and will be producing .superphosphate in time for the next spring sowing.. Ample supplies of raw material have arrived and as soon as the remainder of the machinery is installed manufacturing operations will commence. The plant will be capable of turning out from 60,000 to 70,000 tons a year, and with a little additional expenditure its capacity can bo doubled. In pre-war times superphosphates were obtainable at about £4 a ton, now they are £lO a ton. Bonedust, which cost £7 to £8 in 1914, is now £l7 or £lB a ton when it can he obtained, and basic slag is practically unprocurable. But it is not the cost that concerns the farmers so much as the difficulty of obtaining the fertilisers. With the new works at Tepapa in operation the supply will be greatly increased and a new element of competition will be jntroduced when foreign supplies aye again coming in, so that fanners will hope that the works will, as promised, be in a position to supply the market by next spring. In this connection it seems to us that the Taranaki fanners should Ijcep in view the possibility of establishing a local works. Nauru Island phosphates mav be landed at the breakwater as cheaply as at any port in the Dominion, and if works wore established hero to prepare them for application to the land, a large saving in freight and handling would bo effected. It may he taken for granted that the •Tepapa works will soon bo found too small to supply tho whole demand, and there will certainly he a large enough consumption in Taranaki in future year* to warrant tho establishment of a local works.