How Many Ships?

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20298, 7 May 1934, Page 6

How Many Ships?

How Dairy Board Faces the Problem. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, May 7. QNE of the most interesting phases of the Dairy Board’s work is that connected with the shipping problem. This season, for instance, almost half of the 120 vessels that will be loading our dairy produce will have hsd to come out from England in ballast. Shipowners naturally regret this state of affairs, but it would be ever so much worse from their viewpoint if they had to steam their vessels the 12,000 miles only to find that half a freight was all that was offering Accurate forecasts of seasonal production, together with the vessels necessarj- month-by-month to give effective clearances, are essential, and the board's shipping specialists spend many a worrying hour over this problem, says a statement issued by the Dairy Board. The meat, dairy and fruit industries have boards of control, which make it possible for accurate estimates to be formed of the quantities of produce likely to be handled each month. Our primary products comprise an enormous tonnage of perishable foodstuffs, so that its carriage to our only market requires a specialised service and a special class of steamer. Each of these three boards has power to negotiate freight contracts, and this power, in combination, enables these industries to receive satisfactorv freight rates, because the shipowners realise that delays will be reduced to a minimum. The boards in New Zealand work in close co-operation with a committee known as the Overseas Shipowners’ Allotment Committee, meetings being held regularly throughout the year so that forecasts can be given of the ships required. The work has been carried out in this way for a number of years now, and it is surprising how accuratelv the needs of the dairy industry are being gauged, increases in production being taken into account near the stsrt of a season in such a way that there is no hold up of shipments later Without doubt this specialised shipment of our produce is one of the major benefits which has followed the institution of the produce boards.