BARLEY FOR PIGS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 243, 11 September 1940, Page 3

BARLEY FOR PIGS

RESPONSE TO APPEAL. DISAPPOINTMENT EXPRESSED. “Three months ago a definite and special appeal was made by the National Council of Primary Production to fat lamb producers and ownirs of mixed farms in tho southern half of the North Island to grow 20.000 to 30,000 acres of barley required by tho dairy farmers to produce the tonnage of bacon promised in response to the request of the Mother Country,” states Mr C. J. Hamblyn, B.Ag.Sc., District organiser of primary production. “South Island farmers, liad a full cropping programme to grow all the wheat required to inaKO us independent of imports. . This meant an increase of 50,000 to 60,000 acres over last year’s acreage, in addition to which they readily undertook the growing of 14,000 acres of linen flax and an increased fodder crop programme to get more weight into late lambs. The southern half of the North Island was chosen for the appeal for barley growing because tho land, tho implements and tho climate were available, and most of tho farmers had experience in growing and harvesting ono or other of the cereal crops. The appeal was made to tho owners of fat lamb and mixed farms because these aro mainly plougliable country with a suitable climate. Special appeals wero made to farmers in the WavorlcyWaitotara. area, Rangitikei, Manawatu, Wairarapa and Central Hawke’s Bay areas, because of the specially favourable climatic conditions. it was considered feasible for fat lamb farmers in these districts to break up a paddock or two of old pasture, take off a crop ofi barley, and resow to better pasture next autumn; other areas that could have been used for tho special job of growing barley were swede and eliou mocllicr paddocks, where the crop had been fed oft and a cereal crop could be taken before regressing in tho autumn. In tho case of those fortunate farmers with all good pastures, hut who appreciated the opportunity to do something worth while as a war effort, it was not too much even to expect them to break up a satisfactory pasture under the circumstances. For barley growing tho better the land tho later the sowing, and such good pastures need bo out of action only from tho late spring until the autumn, when they would bo back into production doing a better job than ever.

“How the appeal was answered is as follows: Wanganui district, Waverley, Waitolara, Rangitikei. expected area 3000 acres; area undertaken, 750 acres. Manawatu district, from the Rangitikei River south to Paraparaunm, area cxpected 4000 acres; area undertaken, 1000 acres. Wairarapa, south of Mt. Bruce, area expected 3000 acres; area undertaken, between 750 and 1030 acres. Hawke’s Bay, area expected 10,000 acres; area likely to bo undertaken less than 2000 acres. Poverty Bay. area expected, 1000 acres; area likely to be grown, a few acres on dairy farms. Of some 21,000 acres allocated to various districts, on the basis of ploughable area, typo of farming, condition of pastures, and equipment available, the latest information indicates that less than 5000 acres will be grown. Further than that, in most districts -a considerable proportion of the area will be grown on the dairy farms. “It is not too late even now to improve the position. Old grassland can be ploughed in September and sown to barley in October —belter grassland—fed oil swede and ohou inocllier areas can be ploughed in September or October, and sown to barley in early November and a satisfactory crop obtained. ANOTHER CALL TO HELP. “This country can grow barley and the j dairy farmers want it, ami if the fat lamb j farmers mean business when they say ; they will do anything to help they will make any sacrifice required, then here is the opportunity to make these statements good,” Mr Hamblyn adds. “Eight hundred thousand bushels of bar- j ley were imported into this country from January last for pig food. Eighty thousand bushels have been imported for seed. The former is the produce from 20,000 acres at 40 bushels per acre; the latter is sufticient to sow 30,000 acres. The 800,000 bushels cost £120,000 to land here. We cannot make munitions, but we can buy them with money not used foi buying wheat and barley, which we can grow ourselves. The dairy farmers everywhere are making provision for more sows and more pigs; by next autumn their requirements in barley will be considerably increased. We may be able to import arid we may not; at- any rale, probably not at the price at which surplus barley was available last year. Wo could be independent if we grew our own. “To those farmers who have faced up to the difficulties of growing this crop in many cases for the lirst time, who have seen only the necessity of doing what they could to help, the thanks of the dairy farmer and pig raiser are due. To nibs', who have found excuses for not using tho resources of the farm to assist in this direction, it is urged that they think again. A record of the reasons advanced for not growing tho barley required by farmers with the land and. facilities for doing so, makes strange reading in the light of meeting a war necessity. A minimum I price of 3s 6d per bushel, sacks in, country stations, has been guaranteed tho grower. This is not necessarily the price the grower will be able to get for bis produce, as this will depend on the supply, the demand from dairy farmers at tho prico they can pay, and tho cost of imported barley if it is available. At 3s 6d per bushel barley can be grown at a profit on most farms in the districts concerned. Certainly not a big profit, but definitely not at a loss, unless the crop fails. Crop failure is a mild risk to some taken in this. wui. One, ot the most plausible reasons for not growing barley is the statement that farms are fully stocked and the ploughing up of an area of the farm will mean a sacrifice of sheep and lambs. The prices of slock through the winter and spring indicate that there is a strong demand for more stock. In any case, however, how are the South Islanders faring when an extra 60,000 to 70,000 acres are under the plough ? llow is it that, in Britain, - the ploughing up of 2,000.000 acres has been accomplished with an increase in sheep and cattle throughout the country arid a considerable reduction in the imported concentrated feed available ? “The plain fact of the matter is that a clear-cut, feasible and definite appeal to farmers in the southern half of the North [stand to put themselves out to grow 20.000 to 30,000 acres of barley as a war effort lias fallen, for the most part, on deaf ears. The reason as given by one farmer who is making a real effort to do bis part, is not far out, namely, that the farI mcr to whom the appeal is made cannot see as clear and definite, nor as big a prolit as he can. by just going on as usual,” Mr Hamblyn concludes.