IMPORTATION OF FERTILIZERS IN 1924-25.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXX, Issue 5, 20 May 1925, Page 318

IMPORTATION OF FERTILIZERS IN 1924-25.

ANNUAL STATISTICS AND NOTES.

F. T. LEIGHTON,

Analyst, Chemistry Section, Agriculture Department.

Statistics of artificial fertilizers imported into New Zealand during the year ended 31st March, 1925, are now (by the courtesy of the Comptroller of Customs) available for study, and, with other data, have been compiled for the Journal in the accompanying tables. ■ The most notable feature of the year's returns is the marked increase in the importation of phosphatic fertilizers. Of rock phosphate or guano (the terms may now be regarded as practically synonymous in trade) 32,000 tons more were imported than in 1923-24, or over 40 per cent. Of the 108,000 tons of rock phosphate imported probably about one-half was utilized in the manufacture of superphosphate, and the remainder marketed as finely ground raw phosphate, either alone or in. proprietary mixed fertilizers.. As stated in the Journal for May, 1924, much of the efficacy of rock phosphate depends on the fineness of grinding, and users are invited to forward to the Department’s Chemical Laboratory, Wellington, for examination and report, any samples they consider are not. ground to the requisite fineness, which may be . taken as equal to that of good-quality basic slag. The Dominion’s demand for superphosphate is now completely satisfied by New Zealand. manufacturers, the aggregate importations for the past three years amounting to only 265 tons. . ■ The importations of basic slag for the past year also constitute a record. The greater part (about two-thirds) of the slag received was of Belgian origin, the remainder, except for a few hundred tons, coming from the United Kingdom. No American basic slag has been imported this year So far as can be determined by chemical analysis of the samples received, practically no low-grade slag is coming to New Zealand, samples examined being of satisfactory quality in total and citric-acid-soluble phosphate, also, in fineness of grinding. No samples of fluorspar slags, which contain some of their phosphate in a form which is of little value to plants, have come under the notice of the Department during the year. Field experiments have shown that basic slags

in the making of which fluorspar has been used are often of comparatively small manurial value, while chemical analysis reveals that only a small percentage of the total phosphate is soluble in the official 2 per cent, citric-acid solution. - . • Potash salts are also being imported in. increasing amounts, this year's importations being 50 per cent, above those for the preceding period. ; The very small demand in New Zealand for soluble nitrogenous fertilizers is indicated by the returns of sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda imported. The small quantities which have come to hand are probably used almost entirely in intensive, cultivation (market gardening, &c.), and in the preparation of special proprietary mixtures. .1

Note. — regard to the “declared values given above, the Comptroller of Customs supplies the following explanation: “The value for duty is defined as the fair market value in the country whence the goods are imported, plus io per cent. As the addition of io per cent, does not cover the present freight, insurance, and other charges, the statistical value is less than the actual landed value.”

year’s Note. of see previous

Fertilizer. Quantity. Declared Value. Year 1924-25. Year 1923-24. Year 1924-25. Year 1923-24. Tons. Tons. £ £ Bonedust Tons. 2,452 Tons. 4,158 . £ 23,210 ' £ . 39,54i Bone-char ' 396 50 1,756 447 Basic slag .. 45,682 39,632 137,213 124,565 Superphosphate IO 255 29 985 Rock phosphate (raw) and guano _ . IO 255 29 985 Rock phosphate (raw) IO8,163 108,163 76,517 76,517 I5O,34 O 150,340 108,119 108,119 Egyptian basic phosphate .8,530 5,996 25,313 18,138 Kainit 4,001 3,975 9,137 . 9,557 Muriate, of potash 2 17 Sulphate of potash 1,126 863 n,574 . 9,241 Potash, other . . 2,287 290 8,321 i,3i4 Gypsum 354 1,979 574 2,583 Sulphate of ammonia . . . . 841 842 13,158 5,439 Nitrate of soda 816 748 9,75i 9646 Sulphate of iron ■ 96 63 - -1,043 . 549 Fertilizers unspecified .. 12 15 i,37i 265 Totals 174768 135,383 392,807 330,389 330,389 -

TABLE 1. —SUMMARY OF FERTILIZER IMPORTATIONS, 1924-25 AND 1923-24.

Year ended 31st March. Bonedust. Basic Slag. Superphosphate. Raw Rock Phosphate and Guano. Egyptian Basic Phosphate. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 1915 . . Tons. 7,966 Tons. 29,385 ; Tons. 54,190 Tons. 23,983 Tons. 1 Nil. 1916 . . 10,059 10,339 58,013 39,366 2,026 1917 . . 10,386 6,660 31,962 24,993 8,614 1918 . . • 6,363 IO 37,157 37,037 11,2251919 . . 3.468 Nil ' 21,400 31,351 Nil. 1920 . . 6,272 2,759 15,842 38,861 15,000 1921 . . . 4.440 10,823 40,731 70,208 10,810 1922 . . 4,063 13,488 3,140 45,956 Nil. 1923 • • 446 19,641 Nil 69,591 >> 1924 . . 5,996 1924 .. 4,158 4.!58 . 39,632 39,632 255 255 76,517 76,517 5,996 1925 . . 2,452 45,682 10 108,163 8,530

TABLE 2. —IMPORTS OF THE PRINCIPAL PHOSPHATIC FERTILIZERS, 1915-25.

Zealand . Port Entry. Australia. Chile. India. Ocean United Kingdom. Belgium. France. Germany. Egypt j Phosphate. Netherlands. Slag. Basic Nitrogenous | Manures. Bonedust and Chardust. Gypsum. of Nitrate Soda. Bonedust. of Rock Phosphate. Nitrogenous Manures. Slag. Basic Potash. Basic Slag. Potash. Basic Slag. Potash. Basic Slag. Potash. (/) rt 0 CL Basic Slag. Potash. Basic Slag. . *5 £ Basic Slag. Potash. Caledonia. . 817"] I, Auckland 405 1,052 30 5 7 1,475 J . Ocean /720 ( TOO 6,769 1,082 19,226 7 74 105 298 -250 2,175 998 201 New Plymouth IMakatea 605 J Caledonia New 605 J 9,819 842 2,271 660 958 9,819 842 2,271 660 Wanganui New Caledonia 712 Napier . 15° 2S 15 Wellington Nelson .. 21 15 50 70 2,932 330 l6l 2,320 102 25 80 66 240 3,590 New Caledonia . . 712 150 2,932 330 25 161 2,320 102 25 8b 66 . 15 240 3,590 Lyttelton 225 / Nauru . /New . \ 469 / 700 150 ' 8 5 4 97 1,100 Timaru . New Caledonia 7i4 70 105 Dunedin 38 309 Caledonia New J" Nauru . f Nauru ■ . 9>3 to T 1,415 f 25 50 115 75 140 220 1,500 / New Caledonia . . 7i4 9,3 T o\ i,4i5 J 25 50 70 115 ■ 75 105 140 220 1,500 Invercargill 22 251 I /Nauru • / Caledonia New \ 5 1,839 J 439 75 408 210 75 1,342

TABLE 3.- IMPORTATION (IN TONS) OF PRINCIPAL ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1925, SHOWING COUNTERIES OF DEPARTURE AND NEW ZEALAND PORTS OF ENTRY.