SPECIALTY CROPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 March 1940, Page 9

SPECIALTY CROPS

CALL ON CANADIAN FARMERS. PRODUCTION OF SUGAR BEET. OTTAWA. Canadian farmers are being asked to undertake speciality crops this year because of the war, particularly in the growing of fibre flax seed, sugar beet seed, and soy beans as well as producing more pork, cheese, and flax seed for making linseed oil. The Hon James G. Gardiner, Canadian Minister of Agriculture reports that the work of coordinating war efforts on Canadian farms is progressing satisfactorily and by springtime, the entire situation should be pretty well in hand. Soon after war was declared, the Agricultural Supply Board was appointed by the Canadian Government to join with the provincial agricultural departments to direct farm industry into channels which would have the most beneficial effect.

One of the problems that the Agricultural Supply Board is working out with the provincial farm experts is to guarantee that farmers will have sufficient high quality seed. Much of the seed used in Canada for such speciality crops normally comes from parts of Europe now involved in the war. The practice of the Canadian trade to keep from one to two years supply of seed on hand has proved fortunate inasmuch as it will give this country time to grow its own supply for future years.

In a normal year- about 90 per cent of Canada’s supply of sugar beet seed came from Germany and Poland but Canadian farmers have sufficient supplies for this year and most of 1941 on hand. Seed men expect that 450 acres will be planted this spring with fullgrown beets saved over from last year to provide for the balance of 1941’s requirements as it takes two years to produce seed from seed. With all these precautions, seed authorities expect that the industry will be well protected and production of sugar beet in Canada will continue to expand. Production’ of sugar beet in 1939 amounted to 614,000 tons.

Canada uses about 190,000 pounds of mangel seed annually and while most of this comes from the United Kingdom where growers have guaranteed supplies for future years, Canada will endeavour to grow 32,000 pounds as a precaution during the present year.