HEIFER CALVES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20050, 23 September 1939, Page 10

HEIFER CALVES

RETENTION ADVOCATED' WAR BUTTER SUPPLIES DEMAND BY BRITAIN MINISTER’S APPEAL (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. An urgent appeal to dairy farmers to retain as many heifer calves as possible, was made by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, who stated that with the curtailment of foreign supplies of dairy produce to the United Kingdom, it was the duty of New Zealand producers to help the Mother Country to replace this source of supply.

“If we are to fulfil our obligations to the Empire, we must make _ every effort to increase the production of dairy produce, meat and wool,” said" the Minister, “and with one notable exception, the live stock position is excellent.

“We have more breeding ewes and beef breeding cows than ever before and, provided the. feed supplies are maintained, we ran look forward! to increased exports of mutton and beef products, but when it comes to dairy cows, the position is not satisfactory and. in the interests of the nation it is the duty of all to rectify it.

“For the past three years milking herds have declined and this season we are milking 100.003 less cows than in 1936. This has been due to the number of heifers entering herds being fewer than the number of cows culled and, with 'Britain calling upon New Zealand farmers to play their part as suppliers of essential food commodities, it is our first duty to reverse this position. The Mother Country has to look generally to the Empire for an additional 70,000 tons of dairy produce annually, and New Zealand is in honour bound to help her to make up this shortage.

Confident of Response

“Thus, the rearing of additional heifer calves from the best cows is urgent, and I am convinced that my fellow farmers will respond immediately to the appeal. While I recognise it would have been better to save additional calves from those born in July and August, it is not too late for many additional calves to be reared this year. “Last season, for instance, in .four weeks between the middle of September and the middle of October, over 150,000 bobby calves were slaughtered. I, therefore, appeal to all dairy farmers to save as many of these heifer calves as possible. "Apart from representing a contribution to our war efforts, the saving of additional calves is in the interests of the dairy industry. Replacement stock are high in price and farmers, to safeguard their own position, should increase the number of heifer calves saved to the maximum they can rear. The Council of Primary Production joins with me in this, appeal which is issued with the sure knowledge that the response will be nation-wide. To-day, every farm is a munition factory because the Empire requires butter as well as guns.”