GOOD FARMERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26635, 4 December 1947, Page 6

GOOD FARMERS

NEW ZEALAND INDUSTRY COMPARISON WITH OTHERS p.A. WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. After attending the. food and agricultural conference at Geneva, studying farming in Italy, France, Britain, and the U.S.A., the general secretary of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand, Mr A. P. O'Shea, has returned with high regard for the New Zealand farmer. British farmers on arable land were making a magnificent effort, he said in Wellington to-day, but in grassland farming he had seen nothing overseas to equal the general efficiency of the New Zealand farmer. He said Britain was still depending on German prisoners of war for a great deal of farm labour. At the moment, those men did not want to leave, but if and when they did go, a labour problem would arise. After stressing the seriousness of the food situation in Britain, Mr O’Shea said the Englishman’s very high opinion of what New Zealand was doing for Britain was rather embarrassing to him when he considered how much more could be done. He had been out of New Zealand for a long time, and did not know whether farmers were fully aware of Britain’s food position, but if they were, he was confident that they would do their best. Mr O’Shea said one of the biggest things New Zealand could do would be to increase her shipments of porkers to England. He had found breakfast the Englishman’s poorest meal. Bacon was one of the things they missed most. There was so much cereal in sausages that one did not know whether to add mustard or marmalade. Some sausages called “ ballinettes” were made with whale meat. Porridge was available, but few ate it bcause of the shortage of milk. Fat and laundry soap were the two ■most highly-prized thing in England. Toilet soap was also welcome. He saw no evidence of a black market in food, and thought distribution fair except for the advantage given by factory canteens. One of the most efficient factories he had ever seen was an English one where a tractor was coming off the line every three minutes.