MINISTER WHO KNOWS HIS FARMING

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 6

MINISTER WHO KNOWS HIS FARMING

Press Association

CANNOT UPSET OUR PRESENT ECONOMY

By Telegraph —

WELLINGTON, Jan. 31. The Minister of Agriculture, Hon. F. L. Cullen, said in an interview today that although he could rnost strongly endorse Mr. W. N. Perry's desire to see New Zealand's food production increase, he felt a full discussion was warranted of some of the problems involved Ln increasing production. "There is certainly the urgent need for increased production of all foodstuffs, " said the Minister. "The Government is most anxious to help fariners step up production." The Minister said the livestock industries- rnost urgent need was for the increased use of fertilisers and there was every prospect of increased supplies being avaiiable. New Zealand's alloc'ation for phosphate rock for superphosphate manufacture for the current season, had been raised froni 300,000 tons to 370,000 tons. Additional supplies of phosphates for topdressing, in the form of about 30,000 tons of basic slag and 10,000 tons of North African phosphate, were expected. Lack of sufficient transport for distribution had given the Government and farmers concern but this diliiculty was being rapidly overcome by the integrating of road and water transport with rail transport. However, the supply of fertilisers was only the basis for increased production. In the dairy industry the most urgent need was for the better winter and early spring feeding of dairy lierds, and with the allocation of more fertilisers, dairy farmers sliould make a concerted eifort 'next season to harvest as much hay and silage as possible. G-row More Pig Foods. The Government for several years, had been concerned with the problein of increasing pig meat production which was a by-product of the dairy industry, and had established the system of subsidising at the rate of £5 per acre, the production of fodder and grain crops grown solely for pig feeding. This subsidy scheme had not been made use of to auything like the extent it should have been., In the Auckland district especially, niaize production • in the coastal districts could be cousiderably increased for pig feeding and in all districts the production of root and fodder crops would enable pig meat production to be expanded. Last season, 25,000 acres of erop were covered by the subsidv scheme. Next season the acreage coi.ld well be increased to 50,000 acres which is the minimum figure the Department of Agriculture expected to be taken up under ihe scheme. Position of Gereals. "New Zealaud has not been self -sufficient in cereals since the period of the great wur," the Minister added. "Certainly there have been a few years intervening when certain quantities oi cereals have been exported but since 1914 the country has been becoming increasingly dependent on importations. Sucli a tendeucy is hard to check and eveu iu the emergency of the past war, cereal production fell short of our demands. The position really is that, owiug to our climate aud soils, livestock farming is more proiitable and congenial tlian cereal production aud that, as a long term' policy, we must adinit the country can only economically produce part of our cereal requireiuents. By this I do not mean the country has not a duty at the present time to produce cereals. It can without alteration to the livestock industries. Other countrics can produce cereals more economically than New Zealaud. Our conditious favour the production of meat and dairy produce — produets which the mother country is in particular need of at this mouient. " Poultry Difficnlties. The Minister de'scribed difficulties t'acing the poultry industry on account of the present shortage of grain aud stated that the industry had become uiore aud more depeudeut 011 imported food as egg production had decreased ou dairy farms. "I feel that dairy farjners in niany districts could, with advautage to themselves and to the country, increase their docks and make uiuch more use of curd froni separted milk supplemented with farni produced grain, particularly maize in the nortli-/ ern districts," he said. "We have all of ns a very definite duty as the present time to see that the maximum production of food is obtained and that no food is wasted. In my position, as Minister of Agriculture, I intend to do everything possible to work to this end. Our main present difticulty is that we are not and cannot be oontinuously self-suflficient in cereals. This position has been developing for the past thirty years and cannot, without serious disruption to the country 's whole farming economy, be overcome in a single season. I feel "We should produce cereals to our maximum capacity on land that is suitable and where farms are suitably equipped but I do not feel it is wise at the moment to disrupt livestock productions iu districts where conditions are not really suitable for cereals. I feel also that my opinion is shared by the majority of farmers and general public."