PASTORAL INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 86, 13 April 1939, Page 5

PASTORAL INDUSTRY.

IMPROVEMENT NOTICED.

CHATHAM ISLANDS FARMS,

(By Telegraph.-—Own Correspondent.)

DUNEDIN, Wednesday

An improving pastoral industry, in spite of serious handicaps, was discovered by Mr. J. M. Smith. Fields Superintendent of the Department of Agriculture in Otago and Southland 011 the Chatham Islands, when he visited that outpost of the Dominion with a party of Departmental officers for the purpose of inaugurating a farm extension service there. Mr. Smith, who was accompanied by Mr. E. J.. Lukey (Veterinary Service, Timaru), and Mr. J. E. Duncan (wool instructor, Wellington), has just returned alter a stay of some weeks on the islands.

There were approximately 200,000 acres of farming land 011 the islands, and in 111 ch of it was first-class pastoral country which was being admirably farmed, said Mr. Smith. Unfortunately tlie.re was a great preponderance of peaty land, and, although these peats were ' far more tractable than those found in New Zealand, the average production of such .country was low.

At the present time. Mr. Smith said; there were over " 100,000 sheep on the islands, and this number appeared to be increasing steadily. Several progressive New Zealand farmers had lately either taken up land themselves or assumed the management of stations over there, and they had achieved a remarkable improvement in production and in the class of stock. The secret of success i'll these instances was the use of cattle to consolidate the country for sheep.

"The Chatham Islanders have no greater handicap," Mr. Smith continued, "than the heavy freights they arc called upon to pay to get their produce from the farm to the mainland markets. As an instance of this, it costs 10/ a head to land sheep at the Addington saleyards. It may be thought that with such a hurdle very few sheep would be sold in New Zealand, but actually between 6000 and 10,000 sheep find their way 011 to the Canterbury market every year.

"The cost of getting a bale of wool from the Islands to Christchurch is 27/. It will be readily agreed by mainland farmers that, however high they regard their costs at 'present, they are not up to the heavy charge 011 their land which the Chatham Islanders have to face."