IRRIGATION RESULTS IN VALETTA AREA

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31007, 12 March 1966, Page 10

IRRIGATION RESULTS IN VALETTA AREA

On the basis of a survey of the productivity and profitability of farms on the Valetta irrigation scheme in Mid-Canterbury carried

out by the economics section of the Department of Agriculture, the average “owner sur-

plus” on farms varied from £BB4 to £1406 in the three seasons from 1961/62 to 1963/64.

The “owner surplus” is the, •mount left to reward the: owner-occupier for his labour and management after allow-; ing for all farm operating expenditure, including depreciation. and for interest at current market rates on the total capital involved in the farm business. For this study the total investment was calculated by taking the latest Government valuation of land and improvements, the book value for plant and machinery and a fair sale value for livestock. The average farm investment is shown in the following table:

As many of the farms in the scheme were leasehold this measure was more of an “academic value." although it could be argued that the annual rental could be substituted for the interest figure to arrive at the “owner surplus.” Another measure of profitability was “farm surplus”— the amount the farmer had to meet his living expenses, any rent or interest charge, taxation, mortgage debt repayments and for any capital expenditure that might be necessary.

The average farm surplus in each year, with the highest farm surplus in the sample of farms in parentheses, was: 1961- £2312 (£3235): 1962- £2395 (£3229); and 1963- £2925 (£4862).

The report says that thei soils of the area are Lismore very stony silt loam, which are naturally low in plant nutrients but respond to lime and superphosphate. Provided pasture management included ample liming and topdressing with phosphatic manures, plus application of water, pastures responded reasonably well and could be, maintained in production for; a number of years, and in-1 fact they tended to improve . under stocking providing| grass grub damage was elim-i mated. The area had a more severe climate than other irrigation areas in Canterbury with more and heavier frosts and a greater likelihood of snow and winds were stronger and colder. Although rainfall was slightly higher than areas nearer Ashburton the soils reacted to dry summer conditions more readily and with harsher effects

Eighty per cent of thi farms for which data was collected were held under leasehold

title from the Crown. Generally leases were for 33 years with the right of renewal. Farms for which full information was available averaged 361 acres in area and had 180 acres prepared for irrigation by the border dyke method. The allocation of water was one acre foot over the whole farm which meant in effect that on the average farm with only 50 per cent reticulated it was possible to apply two acre feet on the irrigated area. The water applied in the three years in order was 1.18, 0.83 and 1.73 acre feet.

Some farmers said that some paddocks had been watered every time while others had been watered only once or twice in the watering season. Apparently some conflict of opinion existed as to whether it was better to spread all of the water available over as wide an area as possible or to concentrate all of the available water on smaller areas at a heavier rate. Water Use It was apparent, however, that once irrigating started, most farmers used their full allocation in most years and took, in addition, any surplus water that was available especially in the dry years of 1961/2 and ’963/64.

It was also difficult to assess whether the timeliness! of irrigation was fully appre-i ciated. It appeared many farmers were loathe to start irrigating early in the season. Some claimed that irrigation water slowed pasture growth by lowering soil temperatures, while others simply stated 'that they considered irrigaition need not start till mid- | November anyway, or tnat it ( conflicted with sheep work land had to be left until time ■ permitted.

Only one of the farms visited had automatic watering j devices in ‘ operation but at I least two others were in the ’ process of preparing for the i installation of auto-irrigation iin the near future. Now that (this method of applying [water could be installed at a reasonable cost it should en- | able these farmers to increase I production, for it appeared that the drudgery of manual j watering was a limiting factor on several of the farms 'visited. Further it should be

possible to irrigate a greater proportion of the farm by this method as advantage could be taken of the full allocation by night watering. Generally farms were well subidivided with an average of 17 paddocks ranging in size from 12 to 24 acres. The change in land use over the period studied indicated a trend towards more irrigated pasture and a high proportion of the dry land area developed to lucerne for hay and a corresponding decrease in the area sown to winter —fodder crops and an almost complete elimination of summer-fatten-ing crops.

The area in lucerne had increased from an average of four acres per farm to 19 acres, and fodder crops had decreased from 36 acres to 24 acres.

Some farmers were capitalising on “catch” crops of small seeds. In 1961-62 only one farmer had saved a 20 acre paddock for grass-seed, whereas in 1962-63. 133 acres were harvested on five farms and 40 acres were harvested in 1963-64 year. Hay-Making The area saved for liay had risen markedly from the base year of 1961-62 when only 101 acres were harvested producing nearly 9000 bales. In 1962-63, 293 acres produced 115.500 bales and 260 acres pro. iduced 11,800 bales in 1963-64 : year. The increase had been imainly in lucerne hay from ■l7 acres harvested in 1961-62 to 63 acres in 1963-64.

Topdressing of pastures was, a universal practice although j rates varied from farm to: farm. Both straight super i and fortified sulphur super! were used with a growing! preference for sulphur super.' The use of D.D.T. super showed an upward tendency with an increase on average from 35 acres per farm in the base year to 104 acres in the i final year. Farmers were un-| animous that grub control: was essential on this soil type! if pastures under irrigation! were to be long lived and pro-1 ductive. Use Of Lime Lime was used only at sowing down, although some farmers were contemplating the use of lime on established pastures in an endeavour to forestall the need to plough up bordered areas for as long as possible. Farming in the Valetta irrigation district centred on i the running of Romney breed- ! ing ewes for fat lamb raising and wool production. Most flock replacements were bred | on the farm, but some farmers bought in additional ewe ! lambs, ewe hoggets, or cast-‘.for-age ewes.

In 1960/61 the average carrying capacity was 3{ ewe equivalents an acre which was increased to 3.8 by 1963/64, mainly by an increase in breeding ewe numbers. Few dry sheep were run and beef cattle numbers are of little significance. The composition of the average flock by 1963/64 year was: 190 ewe hoggets. 273 two-tooth ewes, 883 breeding ewes, 20 rams, 41 other sheep, and 12 cattle. For the first two years the average lambing was 120 per cent but fell to 110 per cent in 1963/64 year due to lamb losses as a result of a storm There was little difficulty in fattening lambs and the maj jority were quit by mid-Feb-iruary with few losses after ' tailing. Wool production had Increased from 311 b per acre in i1960/61 season to 391 b in the ! 1963/64 year. This was a (little over 101 b per head for ! all sheep shorn. Because most farms were I in the process of development, , surplus stock sales were restricted, but many were tradI ing in store lambs which was reflected in the high turnover tin the sheep account.

1961-62 £ 1962-63 £ 1963-64 £ Land and improv. . . 17.428 17.428 17.428 Plant . 1.719 1.981 1.844 Stock . 4.650 5.706 6,044 23.797 25,115 25,316 Int. at 6 p.c. .. 1.428 1.506 1.518 Owner surplus 884 889 1.406