AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1922, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL PROSPECTS.

BREEDING EWES LACKING. THE OUTLOOK FOR PRODUCERS. Some interesting observations on agricultural prospects, coupled with a word of advice to sheepmen, were made at a gathering held at Waverley on Tuesday night in connection with the annual dog trials. In proposing the toast, “The Agricultural and Pastoral Industries,” Mr. J. W. Deem, who is well-known throughout Taranaki as a fields instructor under the Agricultural Department, remarked that, though times had been bad recently, there had been a silver lining, because people had been brought together and caused to realise that agriculture was the backbone of the life of the country. It had also been an inducement to better farming, and that result was being brought about. Referring to the improved outlook in regard to the sale of the primary products, Air. Deem said he had no doubt about the recent recovery in prices continuing. One of the strong things supporting an optimistic outlook in regard to wool was that world statistics showed that sheep were 90,000,000 short of their number before the war. This clearly indicated that, with anything like a normal demand, there would be a great shortage of wool, and, in conjunction with it, of mutton. The fly in the ointment was a great difficulty in getting good ewes; there was a big shortage of them throughout New Zealand. Those who were breeding lambs knew it. This year’s supply was going to be from what might be called the great grandmothers and the position, was not going to be better next year, as everything had been rushed into the wr*»ks in order to get a little money. Mr. Deem said there was no doubt in his mind that the recent increase in price of butter was going +o continue, and that the producers would receive a good profitable price. To help in this, farmers should aim at the highest quality, better feeding and better cows. Mr. Deem thought that beef also had touched zero, basing this belief on the recent arrangement by the British Government for Vestey’s stocks to be disposed of on the Continent, and an agreement between two big South American firms which would mean that they would again regulate supplies to the market. ~

Mr. J. R. Corrigan spoke of a matter of vital interest to pastoralists, which was that, as in Canterbury when the “fat lamb caper” was first started, everything was going into the, freezing works irrespective of where the lambs of the future were to come from. He advised every farmer always to keep a supply of lambs back. He knew it was hard to do so in times like the recent ones, but in the long run it would pay the individual and the country.