Encouraging Increase In Dominion’s Primary Production Figures

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 17, 30 January 1948, Page 5

Encouraging Increase In Dominion’s Primary Production Figures

A dairy production increase of more than 15,000,000 pounds of butterfat in the first four months of the present season and lamb killings 80 per cent greater in November than in the same month of last season was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Cullen. Export butter grading for the five months ended December 31, were 79,800 tons, an increase of 9,200 tons over gradings for the corresponding period of the previous year, states the Minister. Gradings for the last five months were higher -than for any similar period for 11 years. Export cheese gradings were also ahead of the first five months of last season. Meat export figures for November (22,500 tons) were more than double the figure for November, 1946 (10,300 tons). “These are most encouraging figures at a time when the productive forces of the country are being marshalled to aid Britain,” Mr Cullen said. “They indicate a very real response by farmers to the call for increased production. It is still, of course, far too early in the season to begin counting our chickens — our farm production is so dependent on favourable weather that a prolonged dry spell in the immediate future could have disastrous effects. Production indications for the season, so far, however, are very encouraging.”