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Whilst every endeavour should be made in the present period of food shortage to achieve as large a measure of self-sufficiency in cereal production as is possible, the Dominion can make its greatest contribution by developing meat and butterfat production to the maximum, for it is in live-stock farming that New Zealand possesses very definite natural advantages. Particular attention must be given to dairying by the more adequate feeding of existing herds, the control of disease, and the building-up of herds to the maximum. Pasture-production should be assisted during the-coming and future seasons through increased supplies of phosphatic fertilizers for top-dressing, but the full benefits of improved fertility can be secured only if adequate attention is paid to the conservation of all surplus summer growth as hay and silage. Adequate winter feeding is essential if maximum butterfat-production is to be secured. The control of disease and live-stock mortality is essential in the economic development of dairy production. The field veterinary staffs of the Department of Agriculture and of veterinary clubs are being strengthened and should be of great assistance in this direction. Services rendered to the industry in the control of abortion through vaccination should eventually almost eliminate the -toll this disease takes of dairy herds. Mortality, especially in young animals, can be greatly reduced by increased attention to feeding, and investigations carried out at Ruakura Animal Research Station have shown how important adequate feeding is in reducing calf mortality. The immediate objective in the dairying industry is to regain lost ground, and we should attain a total of 1,800,000 cows in milk by the 1949-50 season. To do this there is an obligation on every dairy-farmer to increase the number of suitable heifer calves raised in the springs of 1946 and 1947 above that of his normal replacement requirements. Bach dairy-farmer should save the best two out of three normal heifer calves dropped between the commencement of the season and the date beyond which it is not usually satisfactory to save calves, and quality heifer calves should not be allowed to die because of inadequate feeding. Long-term Development op Farming In the past it has been accepted that the abnormal demand for food from exporting countries during war and its immediate aftermath may not be maintained in the post-war period. It is not that the world need for food lessens, but the free flow between foodproducing and industrial countries is hindered by post-war slumps which have been regarded as inevitable. From the recent conflict has emerged the general philosophy that nations which were united in war must be united in peace and that all countries adhering to the United Nations Organization should adopt policies of full employment to secure to their peoples the level of nutrition and social amenities necessary for a full life. In past and coming international conferences the nations are working toward freer trade, full employment, and better nutrition. New Zealand produces high-quality animal fats and proteins which are so essential for better world nutrition, and provided full employment can be maintained in the great industrial countries there should be no difficulty in disposing of all the animal products the Dominion can produce. An expansion of production for export must follow on traditional lines of live-stock farming, although attention must be given to diversification. For instance, the production of farm and horticultural seeds of certified high quality promises to allow of a more diversified export trade. Farming for domestic consumption can also be increased to provide sufficient fresh and preserved fruits and vegetables for adequate nutrition of the Dominion's population, and in many cases this development will result in surpluses available for shipment overseas. The aim in the long-term development of farming should be to make the greatest use of the Dominion's land resources ; to farm the more fertile areas to the highest level; to check erosion and reversion on marginal land ; to bring into cultivation all the worthwhile areas of undeveloped land ; and to improve farm living and working conditions. In catering for export markets, an increase in dairy products would provide the most favourable and immediate avenue for employment. As New Zealand produces dairy products with less effort than any other exporting country, the scope for expansion in a

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