HEALTH AND AGRICULTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1939, Page 5

HEALTH AND AGRICULTURE

CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIVE FOOD.

“The cost of ill-health is staggering. The particular problem is to increase the consumption of nutritive foods. Public health planning and agricultural planning cannot be considered separately,” said Dr Keith Murray, research officer of the Agricultural Economics Research Institute, speaking at the British Social Hygiene Council Summer School. Farmers in the last 15 years have changed their production methods and reduced their costs to an amazing extent, mainly through economies in the use of labour. The output per person in the industry has risen 40 per cent in the last 15 years, which is probably more rapid than in most industries. A decrease in’ the number of persons on the land is not a sign of decadence, but of progress. Distribution is not as efficient as it might be. Milk distribution is one of the most necessary to reorganise. In 1 Oxford three-quarters of the milk supply is delivered by 10 per cent of dairymen, which means that nine times as many are necessary to deliver the remaining 25 per cent of the supply. Subsidies to producers should be given to stimulate the output of those foods which improve national health, such as milk—not wheat and sugar. This year we are giving about £14,000,000 to subsidise wheat and sugar, while the subsidy for more milk is only about £750,000.”