Four-fold stock increase?

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 20

Four-fold stock increase?

South Island high country runs have the potential to carry at least another 7.5 million sheep.

This is the opinion of the scientist in charge of Tara Hills High Country Research Station, Mr Malcolm Douglas. In his opening address at the annual high country field day at Tara Hills yesterday, Mr Douglas said the 300 or so South Island runs, which currently carry a total of about 2.5 million sheep, could carry at least 10 million.

The Agricultural Research Division of the M.A.F. which administers the Tara Hills station, sees huge potential in the three million hectares of high country runs, he said.

“This potential is only partly realised and runholders have, under their management, a huge land resource which in agricultural terms is largely unused.” Despite the fact that many runholders were attempting to increase or had increased production dramatically, about 80 per cent of the South Island high country which was capable of being improved was still undeveloped.

During the last five years runholders had increased stock numbers by an average of 20 per cent and they

anticipated a further 30 per cent increase over the next five years, he said. However, the potential existed for even greater increases, Mr Douglas said. A comparison of the average high country run with Tara Hills provided some insights, he added.

“Tara Hills takes in 3300 ha of land, while the average run covers about 11,000 ha. Both carry about 8000 stock units in sheep and cattle, and both produce about the same amount of wool (30,000 kg).

“Tara Hills uses about 25

tonnes of superphosphate per 1000 stock units. The average run now uses 21 tonnes, but this is a large increase on the 14 tonnes per 1000 stock units used in the 19705.”

Mr Douglas said development at Tara Hills over the past 35 years had been dramatic.

In 1948 when the property first came under government control, the 1600 sheep produced 23 bales of wool. Now the station has 8000 stock units producing 240 bales of wool and about 10,000 stock units will be

wintered this year. “In 1948 there were only small paddocks around the homestead and the station had two main blocks — the hill and the flat.” Mr Douglas said. “Today there are 18 blocks on the 2700 ha of hill country and we will perhaps double that. On the irrigated and flat land there are 70 paddocks," Mr Douglas said only about 6 per cent of Tara Hills remained undeveloped, but the situation on most other high country properties was vastly different.