Problems Of Increasing Production In New Zealand

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 15

Problems Of Increasing Production In New Zealand

*‘Tn« Press’’ Special Service

WELLINGTON, January 23. „ The area of land in present production in New Zealand is 500,000 acres less than it was 40 years ago, according to an article in the “New Zealand Valuer” by Mr J. B. Brown. While the total area occupied has increased by about 1,250,000 acres, the total area in production has dropped by more than 500,000 acres through deterioration, absorption for urban use, and other factors. Mr Brown discusses from new angles what is needed to attain the goal of higher production and the several hurdles that stand in the way. . - It is from improved methods of farming, rather than by opening up new lands, he considers, that higher production will .in the main be achieved. While there are 66,000,000 acres of land in .the Dominion, main production comes off less than half of this area, and the productive area has remained fairly static for the last 40 years. The main change is that some 2,500.000 acres have been changed from native to English grasses. Annual Development The area being developed from the unimproved or totally reverted state in this country at present is approximately 150,000 acres per annum. This could add 20,000 dairy cows, 10,000 breeding cows, and 250,000 breeding ewes. But taking the increase of 2| per cent, in production per annum which Dr, M. M. Burns, director of Lincoln College, set wwr annual target, an increase of the following stock numbers . is required: 50,000 dairy cows, 23,000 breeding cows, 500,000 breeding ewes. Therefore, one-half to threefifths of oiir increase must come from existing farmed lands and the development of small unimproved areas of productive farms. A review of unimproved lands recently undertaken by the Lands and Survey Department had shown that there is a total (private, Maori and Crown lands) of 1,157,000 acres which could be developed if facilities were available. That area would provide some 1350 sheep and 1570 dairy farms. In a lower priority group, which no doubt would be developed later, were 1,750,000 acres, from which 1870 sheep and 1100 dairy farms should be obtained. At today’s prices the gross revenue from those farms would be £20,000,000 annually, but at the present rate of development it would take 20 years to bring those lands into, production. Then why not speed up development?

To do so, states Mr Brown, necessitates many related developments, of roads and bridges, electric power, new schools, or new central school bus routes, post and telegraph services, dairy factories, townships with public halls, churches, etc.; increased killing space to handle the extra stock at the freezing works; increased transport, rail and road, to carry the increased quantities. / Materials Required The Department of Lands and Survey alone requires the following materials to complete its current season’s programme of grassing 46,000 acres from the unimproved’ state and 6000 acres of oversowing: fencing wire*. 870 tons; fencing posts, 307,000; piping, 592,000 ft; grass and clover seed, 1,643,0001 b; fertiliser, 45,000 tons; lime, 42,000 tons. Ninetyseven houses and 179 other buildings are required. Again, labour to undertake the work of development must be available, with machines for breaking in, subsequent cultivation and sowing and later topdressing, haymaking, etc., labour for fencing, installing water supplies, ejecting buildings and staffing the day-to-day farm operations. To procure suitable capital stock after the initial breaking-in is completed is a matter of local economy and has its limits even on a Dominion-wide basis. He sees little likelihood of the bringing in of large tracts of new lands other than by State action: “Privately held unimproved land is there to develop, but future increased production is more likely to come from the bank of fertility built up in existing farmed lands over the last few years.”