PRODUCTION YEAR

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24074, 9 October 1943, Page 3

PRODUCTION YEAR

MOST COMMODITIES DECLINE

The following statistics of primary production for the year; 1942-43 are contained in the August' Abstract of Statistics. The' figures are published below, "last year’s being*also given for the purpose of comparison. The agricultural figures include the returns of the harvest of 1943 and the live stock figures as at January 31, 1943. The plus and minus marks opposite each commodity show the trend in each particular case:— Dec. or 1942 1943 Inc.

RECORD HERD AVERAGE

CANTERBURY FRIESIAN PERFORMANCE

The most ; outstanding performance yet recorded, anywhere in the world, it is claimed, under natural, farming conditions, is the average of 12,3721b milk and 5231b' fat in 270 days credited to the Friesian herd of 37 cows owned by Mr H. J. Macartney,, of Tai Tapu, under group herd test, during the 194243 season. The average is a New Zealand record for any herd of more than 20 cows, and was created by 29 mature cows and eight three-year-old heifers. The average return of the mature cows was 12,8521b milk and 5451b fat in 271 days, while the heifers averaged 10,6311b milk and 4441b fat in 266 days. The average test for the whole herd for the. season was 4.23 per cent. Only five cows in the herd failed to produce more than 4001b fat, of which, three were "heifers, tvhile' 23 yielded more than 5001b fat* including eight more than 6001b fat. Five cows in the herd v/ere more than 10 years of age, including an 18-year-old cow, which yielded 5641b fat in 250 days. This return it has been suggested is probably a world’s record for a cow of her age. Top cow for the season was ah eight-year-old, which- produced 15,2701b milk, 4.91 per cent, test, and 7501b fat in 248 days, which is the highest return -of any cow tested under group herd test in the Dominion last season. TJtfs. cow now has an average of more, than 6001b fat for her. lactations to date. In the 1941-42 season -the herd produced- 4541b average and in 1940-41 4591b.

All: the cows are practically purebred. members ■ of the herd have been bred •by Mr Macartney himself, - and the herd has been built up' entirely by the use of pedigree' Friesian bulls. Twenty years ago the herd consisted chiefly of Shorthorns averaging in the vicinity of 2501b fat. Since then only Friesian bulls have been used, with the result that the majority of the present day herd have four crosses of Friesian sires in their pedigree.

BOBBY CALF SLAUGHTER

(To the Agricultural Editor.)Sir, —In your issue of - Saturday last, Mr J. B. Peargon writes'on this matter attributing the present shdrtage of beef , partly to. the. hard winter, but chiefly* to the wholesale slaughter of bobby calves, and states that "“he heard last week of more .than 500 calves being, killed at one of our local works, and the bulk of themi were station Shorthorns.” In a general way, station calves are reared on the mothers, and can. if done reasonably well, be sold at the end of the season as runners. Now, a good runner is worth anything up to £B, and-a medium one from £5 to £7. It would be poor business to sell station calves for a few shillings as bobbies and let the mothers run dry. Bobby calves mainly, if not entirely, come from dairy farms, and before the bobby calf industry was developed were mostly knocked ,on the head, _it being more profitable to fatten pigs than to rear Jersey and other dairy breed calves for beef. In •normal times dairy farmers supplying butter factories are stocked to capacity with cows and only rear sufficient heifer calves for replacements. If these pepple were compelled by law to rear all their calves it would not help the meat position, as more calves would mean fewer pigs, and pig meat l is rationed now. Then the dairy farmer supplying milk to a city has no skim milk, and* does not usually rear any calves, but buys in springers as required. Being compelled by law to rear all his calves would be a hardship on this class. The calves would be consuming some of the feed the milk cows should be getting and some of the milk that already is in short supply to the consuming public. Under the circumstances, interference with the dairymen’s system of working, including' the bobby calf side of the business, is apt to lead to repercussions. Even with Mr Pearson’s suggested bonus of 12s 6d this would not, pay to rear Jersey or other light breed steer calves. Some of the North Island dairy herds are being mated with Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bulls, and this mating will help the beef situation in time; but it looks as though the owners of these herds intend to give up dairy farming so that a gain in one direction means a~ loss in another.—Yours, etc., J. K; CHAPMAN. Kaikoura. October 5, 1943,

Sir, —I was , surprised to read Mr Pearson’s letter in regard to bobby calves. Evidently he is not a dairy farmer. He advocated keeping all calves. What about the quantity of whole milk, and the resultant loss of butter-fat, required to feed a calf to six weeks of age. and gradually decreasing in quantity as a calf is put on to skim milk, which it gets until five to six months old; also loss of pig meats while feeding that calf? Now for a few figures in explanation. Take a herd of 50 cows. It would take the milk from approximately 25 Jersey cows to feed 50 calves for the five months, whole milk and later skim milk. That would result in the loss of approximately 20 pigs for the season. Taken over the whole country this loss would be serious. How is a farm worked to capacity with 50 cows,, milking, replacements (heifer calves), and a few culls, going to rim the extra stock until two or three-year-olds, when.they would be suitable for butchers? ' . ' . '

I say. leave the beef question to the beef breeders and subsidise them if necessary.—Yours, etc..

F. W. WILLISCROFT. Waimangaroa, October 4, 1943.

PHOSPHATE SUPPLIES (To the Agricultural Editor.) Sir,—On the Farm and Station page of “The Press" of. October, 2 appeared an article on African phosphate, stating that several shipments of this valuable fertiliser could have been imported had the Government given the necessary permit; but this could not be obtained. “I do not think the average farmer is much concerned whether the importation is done by private enterprise or by the State providing the phosphate is available in sufficient quantities, and when required. Since the war started often both have been at fault. . We have been asked to increase our production and the farmers have been praised for their effort. We cannot go on mining the soil indefinitely, and that is what most of the small farmers have been doing for some time. At the same time they have been penalised by the income tax department on false incomes.. Had super been available- a good deal more would have been used, thereby reducing the taxable income. My experience since I commenced topdressing has beep this: I have been able to carry more and better sheep, and by keeping pastures in good heart, and when ploughed up again for wheat or other crops the yields have shown substantial increases. We have had our quota of phosphate reduced till the quantity allowed is almost negligible. and the land must suffer deterioration if the present allowance is-not substantially increased. I hope that those whose duty it is to attend to the importation .will adopt a more sensible outlook and import sufficient quantities so that we can" get on with the job of production and feel that we are not committing a “crime against-the soil” by depriving it of its fertility and not returning any of the necessary elements to keep it in good heart.—Yours, etC " E. ROBERTS. Culverden, October 7, 1943.

Wheat— 286,998 + , Acres i. 258,002 Bushels .. 8,671,244 9.819,342 + Oats— 56,291 Acres .. ' 70,796 — Bushels . • 31444,812 2,808.774 Chaff121,435. Acres 143,218 —* Tons 242,678 214,884 , Barley— • - 28,641 Acres 36,026 — Bushels .. 1,296,630 1,056.328 ■ r— Maize, bushels 444,249 372,155 — Peas, bushels 852.077 889.224 + Lupins, bushels 43,911 59.263 + Swedes, 108,064, seed, .lbs 116,731 — Turnips, soft. 243,500 seed, lbs 180,306 + Turnips, hard, 107,911 seed, lbs 113.088 Rape, seed, lbs 1,402,024 568,542 — Kale, seed, ,lbs 283,850 221,532 — Mustard, 61,401 seed, lbs* 111,273 —* Potatoes — 23,860 + Acres .. 15,201 Tons 89,604 139,044 + Linen flax, . 21,067 + acres 20.290 Onions, tons .. 8,418 10,401 + Ryegrass ... seed, lbs 16,289,610 11,639,555 . — Ryegrass. Italian, 3.799.862 seed, lbs 4,659.432 Cocksfoot, 1,267,543 seed, lbs 1,528,010 — Dogstail, 455,555 seed, lbs 717,201 — Red clover. 3,578,736 seed, lbs 3,557,145 + White clover. 3,019,745 seed, lbs 2.819.422 4* Brown top, 272,925 seed; lbs 290,415 Stock Cattle, Inc. dairy 4,604,749 4,447,160 — Pigs ■ 681,016 603,876 — Sheep, shorn 29,225.509 29,635,406 + Total sheep No figures. No figures