More Intensive Farming In N.Z. Forecast

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 23

More Intensive Farming In N.Z. Forecast

(From Our Our. Reporter)

TAURANGA. Oct. 12. The genwal trend in New Zealand agricultural pcoduc- '• ■* in the 1-ut 10 year* had nt been toward* great expansion in ttie to'al area farmed but rather towards a s eady production increase obtained from land already ined. Dr. L. R. Wallace, **•:*- terit director of the Ruakura Anknal Research Station told rre annual conference of the New Zealand Grassland Agoo-c-s'ton today. It seems tairly clear that ir future by Jar the greatee part of production increases rrj.« likewise come from w re intensive farming,” he sad. Since 1950 there had been or/y a alight increase in the effective farm land area—»rx>t 32 rruiioo acres—and within this there had been ni very marked increase in *>♦ sown gramee acreage. E-ch year new lend was being developed while some was reverting to scrub and bush, r was now generally sg-eed that meet of the land which could be farmed economically had already been brought into production and that the total of poten- * ally useful tend was probably less than two million see* If further production inwreaaea were to be secured from a relatively static area of country, said Dr. Wallace, more and better feed would have to be grown from every acre. EflPcient Land Use foe efficient use the *ea•o.qgi spread of pasture produettos had to be closely related to One-aoeeonel -vanebon in animal requirement*, g axing management procedures had tot be employed so s high proportion of the feed grown wee actually consumed, and the food oaten had to be efficiently converted by *e animal. Th s meenf teat animate capable «f a bi (pi production level had to be tried. One ot the greatest preeent needs was to improve further the winter production of pasture*. It was comforting to know that this was being pursued and that worker* at the grass-

land* division were investigating the value of toe strong winter growing introductions from Spain and Portugal. In the pest most of the carrying capacity increases had been chained from a relatively «tgM area of plou#table tend and mainly by toe application , of artificial fertiiteers (particularly phosphate) and lime, toe use of improved strains of grasses and clovers and by better pasture management. Further increase* could be expected by these means as the productivity of many pastures on such easy country was still much lower than it should be. Dr. Wallace said he would like to think there would be an accelerated policy of ploughing up and resowing rather than the present slow and gradual renovation and renewal of present old, lowproducing pastures. There were means to do this. Together with toe spectacular increase in sheep and beef cattle numbers in the las: 10 years and, without doubt, largely responsible for it wa* toe tremendous expansion of the aerial aviation industry. It wa* to be ripped that during toe next decade New Zealand's financial climate and economic conditions abroad would permit toe continued rapid growth of aerial topdreosing. Atrial Tap'dresaing .Although toe recent expanded use of fertiliser* had been iirpreesave, toe total area being topdressed at present represented only about half toe total area in so.vn graesea and les* then irtoirtf of the tote! grassland acreage, Dr. Wallace indicated that toe trend would be toward* increased stocking rates even at toe sacrifice of some of toe production an animal. As toe density of stocking increased it cou'd certainly be expected feat toe problem of parasitic diseases would increase, he Mid. Fortunately, rapid advance* were being made with parasite control and toer* wa* every indication toat, within the next year or two, new

material* would be commercially available in New Zealand to control worm infestations much more effectively than any available in the past. “It te difficult to forecast the fir pre,” said Dr. Wallace, "but I believe we can be certain toat methods and techniques will not stay aS they are. There may even be change® in toe form of our animal production. Whatever happen* I believe that science and technology will play an increasingly important pert in our agriculture and it behoves all farmers, research and extension worker* to try and keep abreast of modern developments.”