APPEAL MADE TO FARMERS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22823, 23 September 1939, Page 12

APPEAL MADE TO FARMERS

f LARGER DAIRY HERDS A NECESSITY MINISTER EMPHASISES REQUIREMENTS TFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, September 22. An urgent appeal to dairy farmers to retain as many heifer calves as possible was made to-day by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W.' Lee Martin),- who said that with the curtailment of foreign supplies of dairy produce to the United Kingdom it was the duty of New Zealand. producers to help the Mother Country to replace this source of supply. “If we are to fulfil our 'obligations to the Empire, we must make every effort to increase the production of dairy produce, meat and wool,” said the Minister, “and with, one notable exception the livestock position is excellent. We have more breeding ewes and beef breeding cows than ever before, and provided feed supplies are maintained we can look to increased exports of mutton and beef products, but when it comes to dairy cows the position is not satisfactory, and in the interests of the nation it is the duty of all to rectify it. “For the last three years our milking herds have declined, and this season we are milking 100,000 less cows than in 1936. This has been due to the number of heifers entering herds being fewer than the number of cows culled, and with Great Britain calling upon New Zealand farmers to play their part as suppliers of essential food commodities it is our first duty to reverse this position. Britain’s Needs “Under present conditions, the Mother Country has to look generally to the Empire for an additional 70,000 tons of dairy produce annually, and New Zealand is in honour bound to help her to make up this shortage. Thus the rearing of additional heifer calves from the best cows is urgent, and I am convinced that my fellow farmers will respond immediately to my appeal. “While I recognise that it would have been better to save additional calves from those born in July and August, it is not too late for many additional calves to be reared this year. Last season, for instance, in the four weeks between .the middle of September and the middle of October, more than 150.000 bobby calves were slaughtered. This year a similar number would ordinarily be slaughtered. I therefore appeal to all dairy farmers to save as many of these heifer calves as possible. “Apart from representing a contribution to our war efforts, the saving of additional calves is in the interests of the dairy industry.' Replacement stock. are high in price, and farmers to safeguard their own position should increase the number of heifer calves saved to the maximum they can rear. The Council of Primary Production joins with me in this appeal, which is issued with the sure knowledge that the response will be nation-wide. “To-day farm is a munition factory, because the Empire requires butter as well as guns.” .