HIGH-COUNTRY RETURNS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25022, 2 November 1946, Page 5

HIGH-COUNTRY RETURNS

Interesting comment was made on the present situation of South Island high-country farmers by Mr *J. T. Martin, chairman oi directors of Wright, Stephenson and Company, at the company’s annual meeting “High-country farming in the South Island alone covers about 10,000,000 acres, carrying on an average one sheep to four acres, Mr Martin said “On the wool of the mountain-bred merino and the halfbred sheep, the pastoralist has to depdhd almost entirely He cannot supplement his earpings like the lower country farmer by lamb fattening or; growing cereals. He cannot increase the carrying capacity of the land through the use of fertilisers, nor is he always successful in retaining all his flock against unexpected and heavy storms. In short, he is the Cinderella oi the farming life in this Dominion, and yet his work is highly specialised, requiring expert knowledge in the selection of sheep suitable to his .country, ability to combat rabbits’ soil erosion, and deterioration in pasture, and an almost psychic sense in determining the time to remove his stock below the snowline, a matter in, which a miscalculation may involve fiim in heavy losses “The following authentic instances will demonstrate the difficulties in making this class of farming pay One' station where the land is valued at £ 10,000, and carries 5000 merinos, has, under careful management provided a yearly average surplus of only £490 oyer four years, out of which no provision has been allowed for interest on capital. Another station, valued at £ll,OOO, carries 7000 merino at a loss last year of £94 Another capital £7SQO. sheep 4000. loss £375. Many other instances could be given, all tending to show that the high country pastoralist has not had a reasonably fair deal under the war-time wool appraisement scheme." Mr S C Sutherland saia that the war-time price of fine wooi was not sufficient to give adequate incentive to carry on, and ime nigh country was abandoned. It looked reasonably certain that fine wool prices would show a decided appreciation on the aDpr*Lament prices, and this would assist high country men to carry on with some degree of confidence.