DAIRY PRODUCTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 181, 3 July 1940, Page 5

DAIRY PRODUCTION

VITAL IMPORTANCE OF INCREASE * MEETING ON FRIDAY To acquaint farmers' representatives personally with what is required of the dairy indusw try during the coining season, an invitation is extended to members of the Farmers' Union, other farmers interested, members of the Primary Production. Council, Pig ChibSj . Young Farmers' Clubs and primary pro* ducers generally to attend a special meeting to be held in the Winter Show Hall on Friday. The speaker for this meeting, which will commence at 11 a.m., is Mr R. A. Candy, menu ' ber of the Dairy Board and chairman of the Herd Recording It is proposed to set up sub-committees to give a ] ea d in the Dominion drive for greater primary production. Four Per Cent Increase Wanted It is considered likely that the number of. cows i it. New Zealand \vill be lower this year than last and as last season., particularly the autumn, was a'phenomenal one for production, it will he seen that an intensive effort will be necessary •on the part of the primary producers to obtain the lour per cent in'crcase over last year's figures. Many factors are involved. One •of the chief methods by .which production can be increased is in the better feeding . of stock and that means the growing of more supplementary crops *and the harvesting of all surplus fodder. > To do this Avill require an adequate supply of farm labour and it is comforting to note the statement of the Hon. P. C. Webb,, who said "that he had 1500, men available for farm work and that a total of 2000 "had volunteered for important tphase of the country's war effort. It will also be necessary, if moire crops are to be grown 3 to have implements to facilitate this work,, -and it will be the function of t,he 'committee in each area to,»organise all the plant available so as to ensure that the scheme will not break vlown for want of gear. Dealing With Pigs. As is generally known, the Gov-, ernment is x as)ung for the produc-: tion of a further 10,000 tons of bac-» on this year. That was the reason for the appeal recently issued for increased cropping of maize in this part of the Bay of Plenty. As reported in this paper, the farmers concerned with maize have agreed grow something over forty per cent this year and bacon production should benefit accordingly. It is suggested, however, that the percentage increase likely in maize crops may not prove sufficient to ensure the increase of 10,000 tons in bacon production, and the New Zealand Dairy Board recommends that all dairy farms,, as far as is "practicable, be self-contained units for a supply of supplementary food, -and that farmers be requested to crop a specific acreage per number of cows. The area suggested is one • quarter acre to every ten co\ys. It must be stressed, though, that not all farmers have the call on -sufficient labour to attend to these crops and it may be found that Mr Webb's 2000 volunteers are not to cope with this always major problem.