FARM JOTTINGS

Shannon News, 30 December 1924, Page 4

FARM JOTTINGS

POOL FOB CULL COWS

At a meeting of Martinborough Herd Testing Association executive a movement was inaugurated to induce farmers to co-opeiate in securing a, joint muster of cull dairy cows to be sold together at the end of the season on an optional basis of pooling the proceeds or for selling under identification of each owner’s animals. EVEN BEEF!

The frozen meat industry in the Auckland province has opened auspiciously, says the “Herald.” Livestock are being delivered to the freezing works in first-class condition owing to the favourable season, and prices for lamb and mutton have never been better. Even beef, .vvhich has been a drug on the market for years, opens the season in a stronger position. Graziers thus share in the prosperity in which dairy farmers and wool growers are already rejoicing. FARMERS’ LIABILITIES. The fact that farmers are unable to raise loans on their lands has, perhaps, led to a belief that they have been scraping along without money, and that the circumstances that money could not be obtained on the security of broad acres has proved a kind of blessing in disguise, because it prevented the farmers from raising fresh mortgages. This, of course, is quite a fallacy, says the Auckland “Star.” The farmers have had to get cash, and their stock, their crops, and their wool have been given as security. Even the farmers of the fertile and prosperous Waikato have heavy liabilities to meet. In this district alone tlieVe is something like £IOO,OOO owing to a single mercantile firm. THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

“What the farmers should ask was that the .duty be raised to £3, and if this did not keep Australia out, to request that a dumping duty be imposed,” said Mr G. W. Headley, chairman of the Wheat Board. He quoted figures showing 'that Australia would in the coming season, have a tremendous exportable surplus which, if no duty was imposed on importation to New Zealand, would secure the North Island demand. The South Island, where most of the wheat was grown in this country, would lose the North Island market, and consequently a surplus in the south would bring down the price. To seoure a dumping duty, which consists of a percentage added to the price of wheat sold in Australia, combination among the farmers -was needed, .