LAND INDUSTRY
PRODUCTION CAPACITY HIGHER THAN EVER
ACCORDING TO MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE.
TREND TOWARD MIXED FARMING.
(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day
While admitting that there had been a decrease in dairy production, the Minister of Agriculture. Mr Lee Martin. said in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives last night that the stock-producing capacity of New Zealand was now higher than it had ever been before. The number of dairy cows had decreased, as also had the number of pigs, but these decreases had been more than offset by increases in the number of beef cattle and breeding ewes.
Dairy cows had decreased in numbers steadily since 1935. but since 1936. the Minister said, the total number of cattle had increased each year and was now a record. It had to be remembered that changes were taking place in live stock farming. During the depression farmers met the fall in prices by increasing dairy herds and by increasing slaughterings of mature sheep. The huge increase in dairy cows at that time was the result of reduced cullings and an increase in young stock raised. LESSON OF THE SLUMP. There was today a distinct trend toward mixed farming. Mr Lee Martin said. It was intended at first as a temporary measure to meet the slump but its advantages were proved to be so great that most of those making the change appeared now to have adopted it permanently. Many dairy herds were thus reduced or even dropped altogether, in favour of sheep, and with the reduction in dairy cattle there went a reduction in pigs. The rapid rise of the chilled beef trade also tended to reduce dairy herds, and in many cases displaced the growing of pig meat. The total number of cattle had increased. the Minister said, and the figures for sheep shorn in 1939 showed that there had been, without exception. an increase in every land district. In the South Island increases in sheep shorn more than offset on a stock unit ■basis decreases in dairy and beef cattle. The fall in butterfat production, Mr Lee Martin said, was very largely due to the bad dairy season last year. Production a cow over the last 13 years varied each season, but moved consistently upward. Last year, however, the average was badly down. No clear picture of butterfat production could bo obtained unless the weather were allowed for. EXPORT VOLUME AND PRICES. Slaughterings of livestock for export had moved upward for the last 11 years, except for two bad seasons, and production now was 52 per cent above that of If) years ago. Butterfat production last season fell by 15 per cent, but meat production rose by 13 pci’ cent. Wool production in the last 11 years had risen strongly, the Minister said, and the total for the 1938-39 season, 327.700.0001 b was a record. "The value of agricultural production in recent years.” said the Minister, "has been affected somewhat by a fairly heavy fall in wool prices during the past two seasons, a moderate fall in meat prices last season, and by a substantial fall in the prices of other pastoral produce in the last two seasons. Had butterfat production a cow in 1938-39 been normal and had wool realised Is a pound instead of 9.2 d. roughly £8,000,000 more would have been received by this country for its produce.”
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 August 1939, Page 7
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564LAND INDUSTRY Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 August 1939, Page 7
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