Agricultural lime was the predominant traffic from Browns, and when government subsidies for the transport of lime by rail were slashed and the railway link (the Tokanui Branch) to the primary destination for Browns lime was closed, freight tonnages fell below sustainable levels.
Browns' primary commodity was agricultural lime, but after government subsidies for rail transportation of lime were eliminated and the railway connection (Tokanui Branch) to its main delivery point was shut down, freight volumes dropped below a viable level.