NZ National Archives, File 31358: Prohibition of export of Phormium tenax seeds (1925-1953) File 31357: Applications for supplies of Phormium tenax seeds and plants.
Notes
Flax seeds were banned from export in 1937. Ban was revoked on 25 July 1951. Ban served no useful purpose. New Zealand"s production at that stage was not high enough to meet the domestic market and several other countries had already developed a flax industry. There are files relating to the export of seed and plants to Japan which outraged some in the industry.
Requests for flax seed were received from Israel, India, Argentina, Adis Ababa, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Laguna in the Philippines. Display material was requested by the Chicago Natural History Museum. Flax seed was supplied by Duncan and Davies.
Files record that SS (Seiferts Superior) seed was sent to the Institute of Agriculture in Dublin in May 1961; in 1959 a delegation took 1/2lb flax seed to China; seed sent to Belgian Congo (Ruanda-Urundi) in July 1959; March 1954 seed of SS and 56 sent to James Miller and Co, Brunswick, Victoria; in January 1953 a few lbs of SS seed was sent to the Director of Agriculture, Buenos Aires, for planting on the islands of the Delta of the Parana, Buenos Aires
Bibliographic details
File 31358: Prohibition of export of Phormium tenax seeds (1925-1953) File 31357: Applications for supplies of Phormium tenax seeds and plants