PASTORAL INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 12

PASTORAL INDUSTRY.

ITS PLACE IN DOMINION. FLOCKS KXCKKI) :S2.ooft.fHK> The important part taken by the pastoral industry in the affairs of the Dominion may be indicated by the fact that at April .'?<) last the total of New Zealand fheep flock* exceeded 32.000.000. an amazing quantity for a comparatively small community.

A big proportion !■=. of course, disposed of as lamb for the London market, and makes little contribution to the wool cheque, but the amount of wool shorn from the remainder i* .sufficient to furnish substantial revenue —in 1 9U.">-3fi it exceeded fIS.IHHMHMt.

La>t year exports for the period ended .Tune .'iO amount ed to ~t>1.870 Wales, valued at £12..'545.000. being 20 per rent of the Dominion's total export*. For the reason now beginning a record clip might liave been expected following an increase of over a million in the flocks' total, luit actually there is likely to be a decline in tlie quantity of wool *horn. In tlie Auckland di-frict alone, where the eczema outbreak was especially severe and weather conditions in winter and early spring unfavourable, the drop is expected to exceed 8000 bales. Auckland's Share. The totals reali-cd at the Auckland sales in the past ten seasons are as follow: — Season. Total amount. £ 1028-29 1,024.fi«2 I!i2!i .io 405.717 i:»:io:ti :no.Ko:i i!i:t2 :t:t ::t 1 .sst 1 :;4 !i:!l. i;i:;» :mi.O::O i ii.tr. :i<; i l :;T 1,.VJK,.-.15 i".i:; 7 as i.o:n.4s:! Apart from the actual receipt* from the raw wool it. iniM be rememliered that the sheep's fleece is the foundation of the woollen manufacturing iii< 1 u~try which has a firm hold in all the chief centres of the Dominion, employs thousands of -workers, and turns out products which will stand comparixon with

' the world's best. It ie a fact that the highest prices realised at wool auctions are usually paid bv representatives of Xew Zealand mills. World Supplies Lower. An important fact Itearing on price prospects for the new season is that world wool production is expected to touch the lowest point isince 1f1.50-.51. Preliminary estimates of production for the 1938-39 season for Australia, South Africa and New Zealand show an aggregate decrease of 72,000,0001b, as compared with last season.