THREAT TO POULTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1920, Page 4

THREAT TO POULTRY.

COUNTRY SHORT OP WHEAT. '■■ MORE PRODUCTION URGED. In the course of his remark! at.th* opening of the New Plymouth, Winter Show yesterday, the Hon. W, Noswortiy* Minister of Agriculture, /mid that after seeing the exhibits, he felt a regret that through circumstance; which have arisen, it was going to be hard to keep up the supply of poultry between this wheat crop and next year's.. The trouble in the past,-)ie said, had been that there wrs no. policy iji regard , to the poultry industry and no orie MMn«<\ ed to care how f!;o poultryman got oil. The farmers in the South Island: ;kad, now found'that wh/at was an unprpflt- , able and tijfi'exWusting crop, and it had , been a difficult matter to keep_ 'Up tlw r production of wheat in the ccumirf. ' In ' consequence tho National Government ,/ and the present Government had ha/LO. depend upon supplies of whtat from Aimtralia in order to feed the people dfr thrt. country. < : ' >

Mr. Nosworthy added that the North Island had been developed in the wftjr which was consid«red beat for the nature of the land, and the .South Island ,J»*i had to {trow all the wheat. Now sha' South Island was finding that wheal was not very profitable, and was also risky, and the production hod accordingly decreased. In consequence the Government had had to purchase wheat from Australia. He asked hia hearers to, Impress upon their members of Parliamcn" the necessity of backing up the Southern members in their efforts, to increase the wheat production. He assured them that wheat could not be purchased outside of New Zealand to-day for lej)a..than 13s or 14s a bushel. "I do not advise you to grow wheat in Taranaki," said the Minister, "but I do ask you to do all you can to help tbt poultry industry, whieh is an induHty; deserving of help."