THE FARMING INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 14

THE FARMING INDUSTRY

INTERESTING STATISTICS PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. ’ The farming industry and the measure of Government assistance accorded were commented on by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr A. J. Murdoch) when interviewed by our representative on Tuesday. “ On April 30, 1930. there were 39,841,287 sheep in New Zealand, an increase of 1.789.905 over the previous year. Ewes represented 64.3 per eent. of this increase, bringing this class of sheep to 60.4 per cent, of the total. Total in Otago-Southland.district, 0,726,516 in 1930 —increase 548,403,” said the Minister. “ In five years our sheep population increased by nearly 6,300,009. The OtagoSouthland increase in five years was 2.234.353. “In the same period the number of sheep and lambs killed for human consumption rose from 8.277,673 to 10,014,917 —an increase of 1.737,244. Figures for the year ended March 31 last show a further increase of 1,380,000. “ Tn 1930 dairy cows (in milk and dry) totalled 1,440.321, only 117,000 more that five years previously. The production of butter-fat. however, has increased enormously. • • The area of occupied land has not varied appreciably, tlm increased productivity shown by foregoing figures being due to better grass'land management, with

top-dressing, ensilage making, and rotational grazing as the principal factors. “In 1914 we used about 100.000 tons of artificial fertilisers; in 1930 the total used in top-dressing was 335,276 tons. There is every indication of a big fall this year, however. DAIRYING. “Butter and cheese graded for the nine months ended April 30, 1931 and 1930:-— 1930. 1931. Increase Tons. Tons. Tons. Cheese.. .. 79.059 83-364 4.305 Butter .... 90408 90,265 157 “On butter-fat basis the increase for the season to date is 2.07 per cent. Increase in butter and cheese graded over period of five years:— 1925. 1930. Increase. Tons. Tons. Tons. Butter .. 70.331 94,054 23.723 Cheese .. 72,361 86,962 14,601 “ The average grade points for butter for the year ended March 31, 1931, were 93.10. and for the previous year 92.96. lhe average grade points for'cheese for the year ended March 31. 1931. were 9L55, and for the previous year 91.77. The average dairy cow produced 218.051 b of butter-fat in th e 1929-30 season, 210.841 b the previous season, and only 151.61 b 12 veare ago. “ Herd testing was commenced in New Zealand in 1909 with 815 cows tested. Last season 272.554 were under test for 100 days o-r more. “ Cows tested aud average production:—

OTAGO DAIRYING. “From a dairying ’ point of view the season now rapidly drawing to a close has been disappointting to Otago dairymen,” said Mr Murdoch. “ A cold winter was followed by a similar spring and very little real summer, and in consequence <t. considerable falling off in the production of butter and cheese is recorded. For the year ended March 31, 676 tons of butter and 2415 tons of cheese were graded at Dunedin, a decrease as compared with the previous year of 542 tons of butter and 13 tons of cheese. Otago, however. Las long been famed for the excellent quality of its dairy produce. Of the butter and cheese graded no less than 94 per cent, of the butter and approximately 69 per cent, of the cheese was classed as ‘ finest.’

’ PORK AND BACON INDUSTRY. “ The advantage of using meatmeal for winter feeding of pigs,, in conjunction with roots, has been investigated, and the meatmeal feeding of young growing pigs during the winter can now be viewed as a standard approved practice. In the trials conducted it has been shown that pigs from the weaner stage onwards, winter fed with mangels, supplemented with half a pound of meatmeal per day, put on just over half a pound of live-weight increase per day. In other words, one pound of meatmeal produces one pound live-weight increase. Meatmeal costs a little aver- a penny per lb, and one pound of live-weight increase can be put down as worth not less than 4d. FREE CARRIAGE OF LIME.

“It has been the practice for very many years to carry lime free~of charge on the railways for 100 miles. Originally the cost of this was borne by the Railways Department alone. In 1924 it was decided that the Railways Department be recouped from the Consolidated Fund, and that an item for the amount involved should be taken on the estimates of the Department of Agriculture. The matter was reviewed in 1929, when Cabinet decided that from April 1 that year the cost of the concession should be borne equally by the two departments. Since 1924 the following payments have been made from the Consolidated Fund to the Railways Department in respect of the carriage of lime:—l924-25. £23.229; 1925-26. £31,311; 1926-27, £29,044; 192728. £31,184; 1928-29, £38,343: 1929-30. £24,788; 1930-31, £24,606 (last two amounts half value of concession) ; —total, £202,505. ENCOURAGEMENT OF TOPDRESSING.

“With a view to encouraging the greater use of fertilisers, thereby stimulating production, the Government in 1926 decided to make a reduction of 40 per cent, in the scale of charges embodied in the railway tariff, and that any loss in revenue should be borne at the rate of two-thirds Agriculture and one-third Railways, with, a maximum in the case of the latter department of £25,000 per annum. This arrangement was amended as from April 1, 1929. and the loss is now being shared equally,” continued Mr Murdoch. “Payments made by the Department of Agriculture since the granting of this concession are as f0110w:—1926-27, £27,224 (portion of year); 1927-28, £74.806: 192829, £109,597; 1929-30, £65,916; 1930-31. £60,061 (last two amounts half value of concession) ; —total, £337,604. SPECIAL FINANCIAL PROVISION. '‘Arrangements were recently made for a substantial sum of money to be made available for increasing the supply of credit available to farmers for securing supplies of fertilisers. The money has been invested in the debentures of the Rural Intermediate Credit Board, through which organisation advances will be made to farmers in accordance with the board’s usual practice. AU inquiries • as to- procedure should be made byfarmers to the nearest branch of the Public Trust Office. . "The methods under which the board will make available to farmers the sum placed at its disposal by the Government for the purchase of fertilisers are:—(l) By advances through rural intermediate credit associations; (2) by advances direct to farmers supported by acceptable guarantees; (3) by the discounting of promissory notes given by- farmers and endorsed to the satisfaction of the board. The two first-mentioned methods involve in each case the giving of a security over stock and chattels. The last-named method is simple and inexpensive, as no

legal charges, and no valuation fees are involved.”

3 o tn Q r> ais E § .£ o ■38! c’?o & — tn tL X p Z 5§ > 3927-28 224,130 206,323 224.68 1928-29 259,594 245.811 240.50 1929-30 283,731 272,554 253.61