PRODUCTION NOT FALLING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3247, 2 April 1943, Page 5

PRODUCTION NOT FALLING

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your edition of March 26 you report a resolution passed by the Northern Thames Sub-Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union favouring an increase in the guaranteed price on the ground of an alleged “heavy drop in production during the last two years.” The following figures show that the members of the executive are labouring undei’ something of a misunderstanding. They are taken from the official- Statistics and Factory Production, and show the total quantity of butterfat received at dairy factories for manufacture into butter, cheese, condensed and dried milk: —

The season 1940-41 was a miraculous' season for productive purposes, the climatic conditions over the whole Dominion being perfect. Apart from this season production in 1941-42, despite any difficulties there may have been in connection with man-power, was greatei* than in any other of the years mentioned. For the information of your readers the following figures relating to the total production of dairy produce, wool and meat are authentic: —

Over this period there has been an increase in the total tonnage produced of 106,845 tons. The value of the total production of butter and cheese over the same five-

. This shows that last year the dairy farmers’ income from butter and cheese was over more than in the year before the war.—l am, ©tc JAMES THORN.

tons 1937-38 — - .... 170,999 1938-39 — -- .... 155,049 -- -- .... 168,076 1940-41 -- --- .... 183,658 1941-42 -- -- .... 171,151

tons 1937-38 -- - . .... 849,739 1938-39 - - _ .... 860,056 1939-40 - .... 926,330 .1940-41 -- - . .... 945,522 1941-42 -- - . .... 956,584

year period was:— £27,526,000 1937-38 .... -- 1938-39 -- £27,308,000 1939-40 --- -- £29,572,000 1940-41 -- -- £32,125,000' 1941-42 -- -- £30,500,000