FARMERS’ TROUBLES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 136, 21 March 1930, Page 6

FARMERS’ TROUBLES

PESSIMISTS REBUKED.

PRICES AND OUTPUT. INCREASED PRODUCTION URGED (Special to the “Guardian.”) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. That it was a mistake for farmers to become pessimistic regarding the future, was the view expressed by,Mr J. G. Herdman, the retiring president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Associatibn, in his address at the annual meeting of the Association last evening. “The lot of the man on the land this season,” said Air Herdman, “has not been a very encouraging one. He lias had plenty of reverses to face such as higher taxation, adverse weather conditions, lower prices for wool, lamb and other produce, and higher interest charges, but it does not follow that the lower range of values is to continue indefinitely, and it is a. mistake to become pessimistic regarding the future. The only tiling to be done to epnibat existing troubles is to economise in every wav possible, to see what can be done in the way of increasing production.

“Top dressing has now become general on lands which are suitable for that purpose—the use of fertilisers in the Dominion for this purpose increasing in 15 vears from 40,000 tons to 300,000 tons and the use of fertilisers during a similar period for crop production, from 60,000 tons.to 100,000 tons. The area of pastures improved by top dressing has extended from 300,000 acres in 1914 to 2,250,000 acres last year. In this connection butterfat production has benefited as well as sheep fattening. v “Numerous reasons have been forthcoming regarding the lower prices being realised for wool, but there is little doubt that finance lias been! largely responsible for it and the political situation in England 1 has also had a bearing on it. The competition of Rayon, otherwise known as artificial silk, has also been a factor towards low prices. In the last twelve months the amount of Rayon produced and gone into consumption is equal in weight to 3,000,000 bales of wool: Australian and New Zealand combined have about l-6th, of sheep in the world l and l-3rd as far as production of wool is concerned. The average weight of wool for sheep in Australia and New Zealand is little over Bilb —New Zealand itself has the highest average per sheep in the world, viz., 8.41 b. “There is one way in which lower prices for wool may eventually. prove of some benefit to us—that owing to the lower prices more. wool will come into consumption, particularly with regard to Eastern countries. They are requiring more wool as they become more civilised The world’s population is increasing and the new population will require clothing. Women’s requirements must he at the lowest point and any change must be toward more wool being required. The sales of wool in New Zealand for this season have not yet been completed, but are likely to show a shortage of about 125,000 bales as compared with last year and the shortage in money valuation will be anywhere from five to seven millions. The deficiency in sales of course is due to wool being held in store owing to low prices or shipped' overseas. Had it 'been a normal season with regard to prices, sales in the Dominion would probably have shown an increase, as sheep statistics show a substantial increase in numbers.”