THE FERTILISER POSITION

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 7

THE FERTILISER POSITION

Farmers Perturbed Blood And Bone Supply “Frozen” At a meeting of the Otago Primary Production Council the chairman iMr A. C. Leary) reported that the council hail received complaints from the farmers in Soutli Otago that, pending a similar arrangement to that made last year with the Director-general of Agriculture, the South Otago Freezing Works was unable to deliver blood and i bone manure direct to farmers. Farmers throughout South Otago were very much perturbed, and had asked the Fanners’ Union and the Primary Production Council to take action. Over a pericd of 18 years farmers had drawn their supplies direct from the South Otago Freezing Works, and production would be jeopardised if this system were upset at this late stage of the war. It was suggested that a mass meeting should be held at Balclutha, but Mr A. C. Cameron expressed the opinion that the position could be rectified if either the Director-general of Agriculture or the Assistant Directorgeneral could be persuaded to come to Dunedin to meet a deputation from the Primary Production Council and the districts concerned. Mr A. Mclntyre said that he thought the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. B. Roberts) should also be invited to be present. Mr Cameron replied that a deputation consisting of the chairman of the Otago Council iMr Leary), Messrs J. W. Woodcock. E. H. Calder, and himself had already waited upon tlie Minister, who had promised to give the matter his favourable consideration. After, further discussion, it was resolved on the motion of Messrs A. Renton and W. I. Nichol, that an invitation be extended to the Directorgeneral, or, failing him, to the Assist-Director-general, to meet a representative deputation in Dunedin at an early date. The chairman said that complaints had been received by the council that, owing to the Government's action in holding up the supplies of blood and bone, the stock and station agents were unable to proceed with their mixing programmes. A deputation from the Stock Agents' Association and fertiliser mixers then waited upon the meeting and outlined their difficulties. The members of the deputation explained that it was customary to proceed with the mixing during the slack season. They were unable to get stocks of blood and bone because the Government had “frozen” them. This meant that they could not draw their supplies of superphosphate during the slack season. If the present, situation continued for another month or six weeks there would be a bottleneck in October-November-December, when trucks and labour would be scarce. It would mean that another 20.000 tons would have to be handled and delivered throughout the South Island during the busiest months of the vear. After further discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of Messrs W, Lee and J. D. Hogg, that immediate representations be made to the Government, stressing the seriousness of the position.