DROUGHT RELIEF

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 50, 8 March 1946, Page 4

DROUGHT RELIEF

FODDER NOW AVAILABLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS Farmers, who have been badly affected by the drought and are unable to obtain financial assistance through the normal commercial channels may make application for Government assistance through the Fields Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Whakatane. These loans will be for a long term and at a low rate of interest and based on the relief granted for flood

damage, etc. The loans are only for the purpose of enabling the farmer to carry on his farming operations and must not be considered as compensation in any shape or form. A farmer who is connected in any form of finance to the Government must apply through that Department. Ceiling Prices for Fodder

Ceiling prices have been fixed as follows:

Meadow hay £7 10s a ton Lucerne hay £8 10s a ton Chaff £9 10s a ton

These prices of F. 0.8. South Island or F.O.R. North Island, one merchant’s commission included. In order that farmers may get hay or chaff at a reasonable price, the selling price to farmers at the nearest railway station or port has been fixed at 10/- higher than the purchasing price. That is, if a farmer buys hay from the South Island for which ceiling price has been paid, it will cost him £8 a ton at the nearest rail or port. The difference in transport costs is being paid by the Government by way of subsidy. No ceiling price has been fixed for oats but should the price get out of hand a ceiling price will be introduced. Hay Committees

Distribution is being arranged through the normal channels, with this exception—that local committees are being set up in the drought areas. The local hay committee for Eastern Bay of Plenty is centred at Whakatane and consists of one representative of the Merchants’ Federation (C. P. Wallace), one representative nominated by the Primary Production Council (J. M. Alexander), and the local Instructor as Chairman (E. M. Marryatt). The work of this committee is to see that the distribution of fodder is fair and equitable and that the fodder goes to the most necessitous farmers and ensures the survival of capital livestock. The recent survey of probable feed requirements in drought affected areas and the probable surpluses in other districts indicates that the demand for fodder will far exceed the supply. It is plain, therefore, that hay and chaff must be rationed. Application for Fodder

The local Hay Committee requests that all who will require some extra fodder to enable them to winter their stock, make application for it at once. They should apply to their merchant or Dairy Co. who will, if the fodder to be supplied is subsidised, send the application on to the Hay Committee for approval. The Hay Committee will require to know the number and kind of stock to be wintered, and the total amounts of all kinds of fodder available for wintering so these details must be included in .applications. It should be realised that only necessitous applications can be approved. Surplus Hay

Any farmer who may have surplus hay or any other fodder is asked to offer it now either to his nearest merchant or to other farmers who are in dire need. If the weather improves some little hay or gilage ififtv still be saved and every little will help in this emergency.

Supplementary Fodder Crops There is still time to sow suitable supplementary fodder crops for late winter and spring feeding. Green cereals, turnips, temporary pasture, and Silver Beet are suitable crops for this purpose. Barley is preferred to oats because it tends to tiller better and so provide more feed, and when cows have had an hour on barley they are not so likely to blow on immature pasturage in the spring. Algerian oats are also excellent and can safely be sown now. It. is get : ting late for sowing turnips but' there is still a good chance of reasonable results. Perhaps the best way to sow- turnips now is with tempor-

ary pasture. Rates of seeding for these crops are:— Barley—drilled with every coulter and two bushels per acre and "

harrowed to cover, or sown broadcast at three bushels and lightly disced and harrowed to cover. Varieties to use—Cape or Black Skinless. Algerian oats—same as for barley. Soft Turnips—lo to 12ozs sown in 7in drills will give the best results at this time of the year for the bulbs will not attain great size anyway. Hardy Green Globe or Imperial Green' Globe are commonly sown but New Zealand Purple Globe is the earliest variety and New Zealand Red Globe a good second early. The yellow-fleshed or Aberdeen varieties will grow better in the winter but they are slower growing though better keeping. If sown with a pasture mixture the seeding should be not more than Bozs and a Globe variety should be used.

Temporary pasture:—one bushel of Certified Italian Ryegrass and 6lbs of Red Clover. Silver Beet—6lbs of seed drilled in 14in rows and thinned. Fertiliser at the allowance under rationing should be used with these crops, and application should be made through your merchant.