FUTURE FOR FARMERS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 139, 10 December 1930, Page 12

FUTURE FOR FARMERS

MAY NEED SOME ASSISTANCE

POLITICAL ACTION URGED

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") AUCKLAND, 9th December. "Although New Zealand is certainly experiencing a wave of economic depression caused principally by lower prices for primary products, conditions in the Dominion nre far better than they are in many other countries." This is the view of Dr. H. E. Annett, of Matangi, research officer in New Zealand for Imperial Chemical Industries and an authority on farming matters. . "Pessimistic talk will get us nowhere," he said. "Admittedly there is need for a certain amount of political action, but there is just as much need for individual action by all classes of tho community." The.drop in butter prices had caused alarmist reports in some quarters that farmers would be forced to leave the land, Dr. Annett continued. These reports in the main were unfounded, as tho majority of tho farmers realised that their farms wore their only assets. While- conditions were adjusting themselves a number of farmers on the border line might be forced to quit, and if steps could be taken to koep them on the land they would be well worth while. LIBERAL TREATMENT FROM MORTGAGEES. "As for tho others, their main objective should be to maintain the standard of their production," Dr. Annctt said. "They are certain to receive liberal treatment from mortgagees. There is very little risk of mortgagees foreclosing at present, and no useful purpose would be served by tho granting of a moratorium. Farmers may need some assistance in maintaining tho standard of production; but if they will do this the future is not nearly so dark as some people believe. It must be remembered that New Zealand is still in a position to produce butter-fat at a lower price per pound than any other country in the world. This is a most important factor, and one that does not operate to the advantage of competing countries, which are also feeling the slump. If only the New Zealand farmer had thought less of co-operative marketing and inoro of co-operative production ho would be in a much happier position at present. In Denmark the farmer does not bother about tho marketing of his products. His job is to produce them. Farmers here would be well advised to leave tho marketing of dairy produce to those competent to deal with tho problem and to concentrate on production. REDUCING COSTS. "Naturally, when prices arc falling, farmors loolv round for some means of reducing their costs," said Dr. Annett. "Tho view has already been put forward in one quarter that. farmers should be able to cut down on fertilisers. This is pure fallacy. We know definitely that New Zealand must have phosphates, and if farmers decido to cut down on fertilisers they will lose all the ground they have gained in recent years. Fertilisers are absolutely necessary for the m intenance of production." Political action for the benefit of the farming community was needed in tho near future, Dr. Annett continued, but it was necessary to dispel the idea that the farmer was up against the rest of tho community. Any political action should aim at co-operation between all classes. There would have to be a reduction in wages without a reduction in the standard of living, and there would certainly have to be a reduction in taxation in some form. New Zealand was recognised as being one of the few solvent countries in tho world, but in spite of this there was no very easy channel at present through which farmers could obtain financial assistance at a reasonable rate of interest. Personally ,he thought that they had not availed themselves of the benefits of the Eural Intermediate Credits scheme as much as they might havo done, but there was still'need of some pooliug of financial resources so that the farmer, on whom the health of the country depended, could got cheaper credit.