FARM PRODUCTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19987, 12 July 1939, Page 7

FARM PRODUCTION

‘ERRONEOUS PROPAGANDA 7

NO PERMANENT DECLINE SURVEY BY .MINISTER STATISTICS ANALYSED (Par Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A declaration that it was time that erroneous propaganda regarding the pastoral production of New Zealand ceased, was made by the Minister ol Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, in opening the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union to-day. He quoted statistics with the object of showing the position was by no means as serious as had been suggested.

There was no evidence to prove that the total production was showing any permanent decline, lie asserted. Sheep flocks, as at April 30, showed a decrease of over 500,000 and editorials had been written stating that sheep production was going down. Thai, was not correct. There had been a bad fattening season in 1938, and a large number of animals which normally would have been slaughtered before the end of April, were carried forward to the 1939 season.

This year to April 30 there were killed 21,000 tons more mutton and lamb than (for the corresponding period last year, and making allowance for the drop of 500,000, as representing 12,000 tons, the Dominion had actually produced 9000 tons more meat last year than in the previous year, but the reaL test was the increase or decrease in the number of breeding ewes and when the final figures were published, they would show a substantial increase.

In 1937, wool production was 303,000,0001 b. In 1938 it was 297,000,0001 b. in spite of the fact that New Zealand shore 1,000,000 more sheep, but the clip was a light one averaging lib. less than the previous year. This year 1,000,000 more sheep again were shorn and the clip being moderately heavy New Zealand produced more wool than ever in her history.

Inapplicable Figures

Inapplicable statistics were used to prove that production was declining in regard to dairy cows. Since 1935 the number had decreased by 79,000. Fifty per cent of the dairy cows were in the two Auckland provinces and in these there had been no decline, but an increase of 4000. If cows in milk only were taken, the increase had been 11,000. If Taranaki were excepted, ,a decline had taken place in mainly sheep districts and, of that drop, 20,000 took place the year before the Government came into office.

A-s an offset to the decrease in dairy cows, there had been an increase of 145,000 beef cows and 2,000,000 breeding ewes, showing clearly that in these districts the farmers had gone back to their usual farming practice. Many of them milked cows to help them through the slump time. The Minister also dealt with what the department was incurring in expenditure. Anyone seeing the expenditure for the .past year, £1,078,000 he said, would fly to the conclusion that it was spent by the department, but the real position was that £OOO,OOO was paid in subsidies, the free carriage of lime, a reduction o-f freight on fertiliser and agricultural products and subsidies on fruit being the main items. In addition, £IOO,OOO had been paid out under statutes in the maintenance of agricultural colleges, compensation for diseased stock and rabbit board subsidies. The Minister said the actual cost of the department was £310,000. External Factors The Minister said that the internal difficulties were capable of adjustment, but he was apprehensive of two external factors —the restrictive export of commodities to the main market and the rise of wool substitutes in the textile world. Alternative markets, should be fully explored, lie said. In regard to wool, the real disturbing feature of substitutes was their comparative cheapness of manufacture, and the even price maintained during long periods. The Minister said that high prices never did the wool grower any good. His difficulties almost always followed a season or so at abnormally high prices. The Minister appealed for a greater measure of co-operation in ifuture than had been given in the past.