ARABLE LAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1938, Page 9

ARABLE LAND

POSITION IN GREAT BRITAIN Remarkable changes in the British farming industry in the last 30 years are shown in the review of a committee appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture, says the “Daily Telegraph” and “Morning Post.” The committee consisted of agricultural experts, economists, farmers, and farm workers, and the object was to ascertain details of home food production in the post-war period. Analysis of the output in 1908 and in 1936 revealed that:—

Wheat growing has been reduced by more than half. Barley acreage in 1935-36 was little more than one-third of that in 1908-9. Hay production represented only one-sixth of the amount produced in a good pre-war year. One the other hand, there have been increases in the growing of potatoes and in the number of fat pigs. The change in farm methods has, however, been most noticeable as far as milk, eggs, and vegetables are concerned. More than a quarter of the whole of the agricultural produce of the country now is milk. There has been an increase of nearly one-third in production.

Nearly as much butter is now being made as in 1908, while cheese production is higher.

Advances in the production of eggs are striking. Twice as much table poultry and five times as many eggs are now supplied. The amount of fresh vegetables now being grown is 10 times greater than it was before the war. It has been realised that comparison of modern index figures with those of the pre-war period is useless for the industry, and therefore the figure to be taken in future is to be based on the 1927-29 period. This means that, instead of the pre-sent-figure, which shows farm produce at about 40 points above pre-war level, it will appear as about 20 points below its value of 10 years ago.