GRASSLANDS DIVISION DIRECTOR HAS GREAT FAITH IN CAPACITY OF N.Z.’s PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 63, 11 March 1949, Page 5

GRASSLANDS DIVISION DIRECTOR HAS GREAT FAITH IN CAPACITY OF N.Z.’s PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Could Double Production

If New Zealand farmers got down to an all-out effort, they could double, and in some cases treble, the present production from our pastures in the next ten years, declared Mr E. Bruce Levy, Director Grasslands Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, who addressed Eastern Bay of Plenty farmers at Taneatua on Wednesday in the course of a tour of this country before going to Great 'Britain. Over there he is to give a series of lectures on grassland production on behalf of the British Ministry of Agriculture.

Mr Levy went on to outline < his plan for increased produc- ! tion, with an intensive farming system in New Zealand involvi ing a greater use of bred strains of grasses and clovers, more frequent break-up of old grassland with a re-sowing policy; with special purpose pastures and specific grazing manage--1 ment, an increase in topdressing '• with phosphates and lime, ! greater control of the grazing animal and the higher per acre i labour supply that these entail. 5 That way, he claimed, dairy production, beef and fat lambs on the lowland dairying and fattening ■country could be doubled in ten years’ time, whilst the production of store stock and wool with an increasing arrront of fat lambs and fat beef on the deforested hill country could easily be doubled and trebled —provided that phosphatic fertilisers were available at a reasonable price per ton and labour available. The Plan Outlined His plan for increased production involves:—

(1) Ploughing under of much weedy and worn out grassland. Prom actual surveys made during the war it is safe to say that less ■than 1/3 (one-third) of our fat lamb and dairying country at present in occupation is pulling its weight in ■production. (2) Development of new easy ploughable areas now in logs and stumps, secondary growth, or scraggy bush that calls for heavy mechanical appliances such as bulldozers to bring into production. (3) Giant discing and/or surface harrowing of the more difficult ploughable areas. (4) Surface seeding, particularly With clovers, by oversowing in the autumn of vast areas—millions of nacres—of hill country. Scrubbing ;and otherwise clearing of these hill lands.

(5) The stimulation of certified ■seed production to give ample stockse of seed, both for home consumption (projects 1-4) and for export. (6) Adequate topdressing to accompany these Operations 1-4 above. 'Too much stress cannot be placed ■on the importance of added phosphate supplies and on improved means of their application. (7) Conversion, Wherever possible of special purpose pastures and general purposes pastures—half the Harm in each.

(b) Adoption of a special purpose grazing management whereby ■special purpose and general purpose components of the sward can develop and can grow to produce the maximum possible of good quality herbage (not less than 20 per cent protein): applicable also to the lulls, (c) A further sub-division of the farm, an enlargement of the concrete area about the milking shed, and the possible construction of narrow concrete runways to give independent access to outlying fields. Two or three gateways to each paddock may be necessary, (d) A systematic and efficient drainage scheme. Physical Requirements The plan involves physically: (1) More labour and the satisfactory housing of that labour either on the farm or in rural community centres. (2) Greater supplies of raw phosphate and an extension of superphosphate works. (3) Good i supplies of certified seed and the use of certified seeds only. (4) A plenteous supply of wire and fencing material and a better utilisation of 'what fences we have at present on the farm. (5) Adequate supply of farm implements—tractors, ploughs, etc. (6) More concrete on the dairy farm. Architecturally the plan involves an organisation within the industry itself to aid and plan development such as—(a) Establishment of pools for the development of the industry. (b) Subsidisation of the where'withalls to produce. State and the primary industry Itself contributing. (c) Planned economy in guaranteed price for all products and a guarantee of markets, (d) Settlement of youth on the land. Ce) Planning of social amenities in the countryside, (f) Retirement of old people on superannuation. Psychologically the plan involves:

(1) A new spirit and a new urge and a less thwarted outlook in farming. (2) Better leadership. Mountains have grown of moles and dissafection has been spread among the farming people. (3) A close political with what-so-ever colour of politics that is in power. (4) Greater 'state Departmental sympathy, co-operation and collaboration in pushing for the full development of land in aiding and abetting the real trier and pioneers in the deevlopment and farming .of the more difficult lands. Official Objections

The main official objections cited to the full development of a plan are: (1) Limited supply ,of superphosphate. (2) Transport problems of getting in more raw rock and in transporting this from the works to farms. (3) Limited capacity of phosphate works and involving additional plant that must come from overseas. (4) Limited supply of fencing wire. (5) No surplus labour for farm development. (6) No' houses to accommodate such labour.

To me it seems just crazy for an industry worth some £125,000,000 a year with another £100,000,000 potential, and a hungry consumer country like Great Britain, and a world food sponsoring organisation like U.N.O. to regard as insuperable the few disabilities mentioned above. Recently I contributed a paper to U.N.O. on the development of natural food resources and the prime ob jective I had in mind in contributing that paper was to place before the foods section of that organisation the .latent potentialities in NeW Zealand for food and wool, and I thought it reasonable that such an organisation would grasp an opportunity to exploit such resources by the provision of finance and recommendations for the supply of materials to make it possible and to ensure that New Zealand develop these resources. It seems to me just a swan song to plead for food without making a real effort to extract that food from all possible and potential sources. Food To Spare

Here in New Zealand we have a real surplus of food and its export is in no wise prejudicing the standard of living of our people. This surplus has in fact created and is maintaining that standard of living. It seems' to me countries having a surplus of food Offer the best and most permanent source of food, for today one cannot tell at what moment native populations' may not rise in rebellion against the production and export of food from their country whilst starvation and low standards of living prevail within the area producing the food, often at great cost, for export. In the face of this it seems trifling to talk of the need for a boat or two to bring in more phosphate and of a few more works, more economically placed for general distribution, to process it. Of a little steel for fencing wire, a little cement for concrete, of the building of homes in the country for the needed labour and even in the full development of social amenities, roads, schools, etc., to make that labour a satisfied people.