WHEAT AND PIGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 June 1940, Page 4

WHEAT AND PIGS

FACILITIES TO ASSIST FARMERS URGED LOAN OF TRACTORS SUGGESTED FOR PREPARING LAND. OVERCOMING THE SHORTAGE OF LABOUR. Tlie provision of facilities by the Government to assist farmers to grow more wheat and a big effort to increase the number of pigs and the production of baconers are advocated by a well-known Wairarapa farmer of long experience. “If the Government went fully into the matter and placed tractors at the disposal of those who did not have the facilities for ploughing and discing,” he said, “I am sure a great many farmers could grow wheat and barley. In my own case, if a tractor were available to prepare the land, I could put in 30 or 40 acres of wheat. The trouble at present is to get a man to do the ploughing, owing to difficulty in securing sufficient labour. The Government must have a number of tractors and men who are capable of handling them which could be used for work of this sort. If these facilities were available I am sure a considerably increased area of wheat and barley could be grown.” The opinion was expressed that some sort of wheat organisation could be set Up, on which body recognised authorities on the growing of cereals could serve and give advice as to the land most suitable for growing wheat and barley. If an efficient organisation of that kind were set up and it was in a position tb say that it would prepare the land, provided the farmer would sow the seed and harvest the crop he was confident that these facilities would enable many farmers to do something in a practical way to increase production. He did not anticipate any trouble in harvesting, as farmers freely co-operated with each other in this work. It was most desirable that New Zealand should grow more wheat and so obviate the necessity of importing supplies from Australia. This, in turn, would enable Australia to export more wheat to the British Isles. During the last war, wheat was grown all over the country and it was imperative that some united effort should be made in the present emergency. If advantage were to be taken of the coming season something should be done now, as spring-sown wheat was put in in September and October. A similar organisation could be set up to increase the number of pigs and the production of baconers. If every farmer kept two or three pigs the Dominion numbers would mount up. There was no doubt that every farmer could keep pigs, provided he was sure of obtaining sufficient food at a cheap enough rate. The Government could take control of the food supplies and ration them at a fixed price. Following on the recent developments in Europe, there must be an increasing demand for bacon and he certainly thought that there should be a big drive in New Zealand to produce morel baconers. These matters, he pointed out, could be taken up by the Primary Production Council.