Farm and station Farming will need more energy

Press, 20 October 1978, Page 4

Farm and station Farming will need more energy

Farming systems worldwide are being closely appraised in terms of their energy inputs and outputs. Rapidly dwindling stocks of fossil fuels, questions about the efficiency of current utilisation, and the expense of alternative energy sources are lending urgency to research efforts.

The productive efficiency of New Zealand’s traditional, pastorally based, agricultural industry is widely acknowledged. Nonetheless, scientists and economists of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, along with researchers in other departments, are giving present systems close scrutiny.

Dr Robin Johnson, assistant director of the economics division, of the Ministry of Agriculture, says results of recent studies indicate that the biggest energy savings at present will come from housekeeping improvements rather than from changes in technology. “Taking the meat processing industry as an

example, we find that major energy savings are to be had from overhauling outdated machinery, improving steam and hot water reticulation and reducing wastage of services by operating staff.” Such potential savings are important as the processing industries . are heavy users of energy . . . some 47.6 per cent of the total for agriculture and fisheries in 1975. Yet, New Zealand would look increasingly towards a higher degree of processing as a way of cutting energy costs in a field over which it had little control — shipping, said Dr Johnson.

“Sharp rises in freight costs, due largely to similar rises in oil fuel costs, mean that it pays New Zealand to economise on the bulk of export cargoes. Processing will, inevitably, become more energy intensive.

“It’s something of a twoedged sword though. Processing is already a major energy user, yet there are export incentives to in-

crease processing and reduce shipping costs. "We end up using as much, or more energy than before.”

This conundrum points up to the complexities involved in making sound decisions for energy use in the future.

Whatever the answer, it does not lie in a return to old ways, said Dr Johnson.

Agricultural researchers in the United States have come up with some interesting figures in reply to the lobby that want tractors banned and greater use of “labour intensive” systems — men and animals. “Some 60 million horses and mules would be needed, and it would take 20 years to produce them. It would also take half the present farm land in the United States to feed them and additional 26 to 27 million farm workers to use them.”

This would not only clean up the American unemployment problem, but an additional 18 million people, at present productively em-

ployed elsewhere, would also have to make the move into agriculture! The University of Guelph, in Canada, is conducting studies to determine the amount of energy farm products consume in relation to the amount of food energy they produce for human consumption. Results indicate that certain traditional farming lines are very poor performers in terms of energy usage. Broiler chickens, for example, return only about 25 energy units for every 100 units consumed in their production. Eggs return 50 units for every 100 used. How do systems of major importance to New Zealand score? Beef production scores a plus, providing 115 energy units for every 100 used in production. Dairying is closer to the break-even with milk giving 94 units back for every 100 put into its production. Many field crops, on the other hand, are net energy producers. Soyabeans . can return a massive 540 units of energy for every 100

used. The humble carrot performs well with a net return of 380.

Well down the poor performers’ list comes asparagus . . . only seven units of nutritional energy per 100 used.

These studies clearlv show that efficiency of production. in the usual sense, is by no means the sole criterion for judging various products’ value in an energy crisis situation.

New Zealand’s traditional farming practices are largely dictated by peculiarities of topography. There is little likelihood of any major move away from these practices and the continuing demand for greater and greater export effort points to intensification, not conservation.

“Efficient management and rational use of all available energy resources is obviously necessary,” said Dr Johnson.

“But there is no chance that agriculture will use any less in the future. “Savings will be achieved, but future growth of agriculture will continue to require rather more energy than less.”