POST-WAR STOCK NEEDS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23942, 8 May 1943, Page 3

POST-WAR STOCK NEEDS

EUROPE’S HUGE LOSSES PLANS FOR RESTORATION The seed needs of devastated Europe when peace is restored have been expertly estimated from time to time. From the deductions it is fairly plain that there will be a big call on the Dominions to help supply these needs. This suggests the hope that the seed export trade of New Zealand now undergoing a severe reduction will be fully restored. For that reason farmers .should not embark on any complete reversal of their present practices. Small seed px-ices can still be cut on those prevailing this last few years and leave a margin of profit. Recent English reports contain recommendations of a survey undertaken by a specially appointed international committee to assess the postwar stock requirements of the occupied countries. This committee has estimated the loss of stock up till some time ago at 11.000,000 cattle. 3.000. horses, 12,000,000 pigs, and 11.000. sheep, which “creates a very grave situation.” The question is asked what the estimate will be a year hence. The probability, it is pointed out, is that the deterioration will reach its lowest ebb in the last few months of war—“ When indiscriminate slaughter will abound.” Broadly speaking, the decline in Allied countries has been in the region of 25 per cent, for cattle, of pigs 60 per cent., and of poultry 75 per cent. The decline (over the Continent) in milk (35 per cent.) is greater than in cattle, due to poor feeding. Meat production is down 45 per cent., divided into: beef and veal 25 per cent,, pork 56 per cent., and mutton (varying considerably) about 1} million tons. English economists and politicians have been discussing the problem of restoring this huge wastage. To Dominion observers the loss of 11,000,000 sheep is insignificant in view of the fact that the country exports annually more than this figure. Except in small pockets of Europe the class of sheep is inferior in wool value and weight and in mutton quality. It has been held in view of this that the adoption of better breeds may become of fii’st-line importance, as not much change in the present state of affairs would be required. The density of the human population of western Europe has been urged as the reason of its insignificant sheep industry—there was “no room” for such a slow producing animal as a sheep. The inferior class of animal in any case never provided an economic test in comparison with other animal production. But if it could be shown that on the good lands high grade sheep could be carried to the extent of six or more an acre the traditional belief might disappear. In any case, this human density of population has been reduced by war wastage and the prospect of wholesale emigration to the new countries cannot be considered as outside the bounds of probability. The position is entirely different with dairy cattle and pigs, which are of a good standard in most of western Europe. It is certain that the practice of artificial insemination will replace the need for sires, and by this process a breeding up of the standard of the poorer European stock may come about. The need for female stock, however, will be far beyond the capacity of the nearer nations to supply. This aspect of the future has something more than an abstract interest for the Dominions.

The committee has drawn up recovery programmes, and these show a return to pre-war level, taking about six years for cattle; one to two years for pigs and poultry, up to nine years for sheep, and 16 years for horses. The main lines of recovery suggested at present would be prohibition of slaughter (of females presumably), price policies, importations of meat and fats to replace animals retained for breeding, and imports of feeding stuffs. The Dominions will be called upon to supply some of these necessities or to replace those.supplied from nearer sources.