New farming pattern

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32439, 28 October 1970, Page 22

New farming pattern

The last 20 years has been a period of phenomenal development in the Ashburton County. Physical production has increased some two and a half times. Ewe numbers alone which were 845,000 in 1950, are now approaching the two million mark. Greatly increased cash cropping and the development of a cattle breeding and fattening industry have contributed to this achievement. By and large, however, it is the sheep that has been responsible for the development. Wool and fat lamb are the two products on which the prosperity of the district has been built. We are now being faced with a changing situation. The gloomy outlook for wool and the rising costs in the industry are causing farmers to look again at their farming programmes. The next few years are likely to see changes at least as great as those we have experienced over this period. Interesting developments are. already taking place in response to the changing econdmic climate.

The accent has moved from the sheep as a wool grower to the sheep as a producer of fat lambs. Wool ' weight and even wool quality may no longer be of vital importance whereas prolificacy, easy lambing, milking ability and mother- : ing qualities and high growth rate of lambs most certainly are. Our breeds, developed to a high standard of wool production must now meet these criteria. Coopworth, Perendale and Border-cross ewes are gaining popularity. There is a strong case for the importation of and development for

our conditions of stock of even greater twinning capacity. Selection of replacements from twin lambs, preferably from ewes that were themselves twins, is becoming common practice. Our traditional breeds, if they are to maintain their place in our economy must be improved to meet today’s standards. Breeding from hoggets, a practice that has been rather frowned on in the past, and getting a 60 per cent lambing will increase the net income by a further 60c oi more. The alternative, the production of wool for which there is a good market, high quality carpet wool grown on contract to the manufacturer, is one that is being taken by an increasing number of farmers. I am sure that the next few years will see the Drysdale established as one of our important breeds, both in the higher rainfall country and under irrigation. The last few years have seen the development of the county’s first completely cattle farm. With its low labour input and low cost structure, it points the way to a further alternative on suit-

able country. Despite a high capital requirement, recent beef prices would make it probably the most highly profitable use of land at the present time. Both the short and the long term prospects for beet look reasonably secure and 1 would expect to see other farmers moving in this direction. Under conditions favouring cropping—good land, good rainfall or both—economic facts favour intensification ot the cropping enterprise. Some years ago we would have looked aghast at a farm [Without stock, or with winter stock only. Today an ini creasing number of farmers are going this way, harvesting the whole of the farm each year for cash crop or ■pasture seeds. It is an interesting development and a very profitable

one, provided management is good and yields can be maintained at a high level. A

large swing in this direction, however, is limited by market availability for the enormous production that couid be achieved by this means.

This article is written by Mr C. P. Whatman, farm advisory officer, Department of Agriculture, Ashburton.

Our -capacity to expand crop production still further, shows the need for new crops and the search for these is on. We can grow sugar beet. Trials are at present undei way to assess yields and quality. We can grow processing crops of peas, beans, etc.

All we want is industries to handle them. These may come in the next few years. In the meantime, some new crops are being grown commercially. Maize, which is generally thought to require a milder climate than ours, is being grown successfully. The latest development is the growing on contract to seed firms of dwarf beans. With a potential of 2-3000 acres annuaHy, this could form a valuable addition to our list of crops.

This year’s experience will go a long way towards establishing suitable soils ' and techniques for its profitable production. Perhaps the most important development of the last year or two, has been the establishment of a lucerne processing industry. With a potential output of some 40,000 tons, the industry can take the total production from eight or 10,000 acres of lucerne.

With a profit margin comparable with that from other forms of production, this gives another valuable string to the farmer’s bow.

The potential of this county is, as yet, only half achieved. Mid-Canterbury has enormous versatility and great resilience.