FOOD SUPPLIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 73, 15 August 1914, Page 4

FOOD SUPPLIES.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand ) is appealing to fanners to make arrangements to grow this season as much cereal produce as possible. He points out, with much foree, that as a result of the present great war there is hound to be a serious shortage of bread stuffs next year, and that it Is qidte possible that if the war is prolonged it may be found 'that the side possessing the largest food supplies will have an important advantage over its I enemies. We have no doubt that the appeal will meet with, a ready response. For the past two seasons holders of land in New Zealand suitable for cerealgrowing have, owing to the unremuner'ative prices, reduced their acreage and turned their attention to more profitable lines of farming. Apart from the increased prices that are certain to prevail next season for wheat and other cereals, our fawners are patriotic enough, to do all in their power to help the Old Land in the present grave crisis. It is extremely improbable that our trade routes will be seriously interfered with. ' that can take place Germ- wre ,, t tut ■ sU l"' eU "" Sea from us, " ,w . Britain is de- "' ■■ large extent upoa ' ''o . and foreign countries f« ■ fooastuff3. Were she to lose coF 1 of the trade routes she would a'ckly be starved into submission. ■Vith the extensive military operations cow being convicted on the Continent, it is only to bb expected that the food supplies of Britain will be seriously interfered with. The crops on the Con tinent will be less, the harvesting will be indifferently carried out owing to the bulk cf the work falling upon women and children; whilst the deman,.will be greater than ever, for the proving of armies in the field entails gious v.aste. Kussm, Germany, . and Austria-Hungary ail help England. Last year the foodlported from* these countries • over for.y millions stcr;e supplies will almost cer"omatically cut off. Denin'Mit deal of foodstuffs to ,j:-.i they consist almost solely of bii.ier, cheese and bacon. Of cereals, she exports little or none. Britain draws cereal supplies from North ami South America, India and Australasia. The imports of wheat from various Countries during 1912 were:—lndia 2a million hundredweights, Canada 21% million, United States 20 million, Argentine 18% million, Australia 12 mil lion, Russia 9 million hundredweights. The United Kingdom still provides 60 per cent, of her meat consumption, and the balance is drawn largely from South America, New Zealand, and Australia. The Argentine sends more food than any other country, tbe value for 1912 being £35,000,000.' England also leans heavily on India, which in the same year supplied food o a value of £2s,ooo,ooo—wheat, tea, 'barley rice. maize, coffee. Australia provides valuable supplementary supplies of the staples wheat and meat, and New Zealand sends chiefly frozen mutton and dairy produce. Australia, New Zealand and Canada could easily make up the shortage in the European supplies. and it is for them to lose no time in making the necessary preparations. By doing so they will, as Mr Masaoy said yesterday, Tender a valuable service to the Bmpi.-e at a period which is the most critical in the whole of its history.