LAND, STOCK & CROPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 207, 14 June 1932, Page 7

LAND, STOCK & CROPS

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By "The Tramp.") In collaboration with the plant research station extensive research work in disease control and plant nutritional problems is being conducted in the orchards throughout New Zealand. It i"s realised that the solution of many of the difficulties confronting the orchardist is the work of trained scientists, and we trust that this work will lead to reduced expenses, increased production, and greater prosperity. It is pleasing to note that the Otago orchardists maintain a high standard of efficiency in the production of their crops and in general orchard management will bear comparison with any other district in New Zealand. The general condition of the wool industry in Australia, and, in fact, the whole pastoral industry continues unsatisfactory,', says a Commonwealth authority. The rains of the past few weeks should result in more favourable seasonal conditions and the coining clip should be larger. These are the only enocuraging features in the present outlook. The unfavourable economic and financial positions have not changed materially and they are proving detrimental to better trading. ' Exchange fluctuations and tariff restrictions are still adversely affecting the Continental trade and their business is well below normal. This aspect, however, concerns the Australian grower less than other financial and political worries. Any trade that has been lost to Continental countries appears t'o have been well taken up in Bradford, and competition at the sales merely transferred from orie section of buyers to another. Improvement in the Continental demand would materially affect those wools which are now proving difficult of sale at comparatively low prices, and also help finer wools into a relatively better position as compared with the broader types.

Despite the fact that on March 1 there was introduced a 10 per cent, ad valorem duty on a wide range of articles imported from foreign countries, including a number of agricultural products, the official returns disclose m many cases heavy increases in the quantities landed in this, country (says a British agricultural journal). We are warned, however, not to attach too much importance to the import variations in March, as some time must elapse before it will be possible to appraise at all accurately the effect of the 10 per cent, duty on imports or agricultural produce. For the moment, however, we can only take the figures as they stand, and these bring out some remarkable increases which will bring home to most people how necessary the need is for a firm controlling hand in reo-ard to this foreign dumping "racket"'' Whether the second three months of the year will disclose a change to the advantage of Home producers or not, the statistics now under review bring out that in a number of instances the importation of agricultural produce during the quar=ter ended March 31 was on a much larger scale than in the corresponding three months of last year.

"The statistics issued by the National Council ofWoolselling Brokers appear to indicate that the period of abnormally high prices of the war and the post-war period definitely terminated with the 1928-29 season, when the average price throughout the Common-, wealth was 16.44 d per lb., and in the Sydney market 16£d per lb." This statement was made by the general secretary of the Grazirs' Association (Mr J. W. Allen) in his annual report submitted to the annual meeting of the members. It was pointed out that the average price in the Commonwealth for the 1929-30 season was 10.29 d, while in the following year the Commonwealth average was S.dod. with the Sydney average in each case fractionally higher. For the first six months of the current season the Commonwealth average has been B£d, and Sydney 8.2 d. , After quoting the statement of Chiet Justice Detbridge in his variation judgment in July, 1930, that taking Australia as a whole -he felt safe m assuming that "the average cost of production of wool is lid a lb., without bringing into account any interest pn capital or borrowed money! or any profit or return to owners for their services, the annual report continues: inis statement represents the genera perience of woolgrowers, and, although the utmost economies have been effected by graziers in all expenses within the boundaries of then properties, it may definitely be asserted that very few have been able *show any profit whatsoever during the past two years, or have, in fact, been able to make ends meet. "Wool values appear definitely to have receded to a pre-war level, and would even now be very considerably lower but for the high rate of exchange, and this cannot safely be relied upon for the maintenance of future values. Some reductions in the important items of wages and interest have been made, but no alleviation has yet been obtained in respect of taxation, transport charges, or agents' charges. Referring to the Empire Wool Conference which was held in Melbourne last June, the report states: "It is believed that while no sensational results were achieved, a great deal or good was done, especially by bringing together the representatives of the Commonwealth, New Zealand, and South Africa, so that they may in the future more closely work together in the common interests of the . woolgrowers of the British Empire. The recommendations of the conference have since been unanimously approved bv the South African Wool Council, with the exception of the resolution which affirmed that the best method ox Belling wool is by means of public auction. In this respect the South African Council expressed the view that in some circumstances the sale of wool by private contract was advantageous.