FOOD SUPPLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 26, 23 November 1943, Page 6

FOOD SUPPLIES

fa i; a 11; ns- union's st at em en t

At the monthly meeting of the Auckland. Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' tlnicn on November 17 the president (Captain 11. M. Rushworth) submitt<\d ihe following statement, prepared for the press by the Dominion Executive. "The Dominion -Executive ri' the New Zealand Farmer's' Union wishes to direct the. attention of the general public to the recent statement, of Lord Wool ton, Pood Controller in Great Britain, when he said that indications already pointed lo a general world shortage of foodstuffs within a measurable distance of time. We consider it our duty to publicly .state that the production of foodstuffs in New Zealand is alarming'y on the. down grade. The reasons Rutins is partly climatic parlly materia! and partly psychological. "With regard to the first point, this is the. smallest factor in Uncase. The second point, covers the shortage, of fi.rti iiseis. permanent, labour, with a consequent effect of a shortage of fodder crops and supplementary stock foods. The lack or shortage, of these things has intensified the effect of the unfavourable climatic conditions, which can be met. and are usual in normal times, by the practice of providing reserve supplies. "The third is the psychological factor. The. farming community appears. to be suffering from a feeling of frustration. For too long they have been answering and straining every nerve lo meet the call of patriotism. The farmers and their womenfolk have put their maximum effort into their contribution to the war effort, but these efforts are being nullified by inefficient adininis-' tration, by vacillation and by inubi!ily to appreciate tin:, essential requirements for food production. "As regards dairy farming. the call for manpower for the lighting services has resulted, in the women being largely responsible for carrying on the. industry. These women are .subjected to the double strain of maintaining their homes and carrying on the farm work. They are I breaking down. The psychological ! nervous exhaustion is so widespread! that we and the Women's Division are endeavouring to establish rest homes. "The foregoing could be elaborated and more details could be supplied, but we have now done, our duty in notifying the public that there is a crisis in food production right on their own doorsteps."