FARMERS’ OUTLOOK

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 125, 19 February 1921, Page 10

FARMERS’ OUTLOOK

MARKETS AFFECTED BY NEWS FROM ROME MANAWATU CROPS YIELD WELL (From Our Own Correspondent.) Palmerston North, February 18. The weather throughout the Manawatu district has been warm for the past week, and no rain has fallen. This lias given farmers an opportunity to complete their harvesting, and the bulk of the crops are now in stack, while a few are being thrashed. So far as can be gathered, the yields have been quite satisfactory, and some of the samples of oats, especially Algerians, are very good. A. large quantity of grass seed has been saved, and. the Italian rye especially has turned out well. In spite of the absence of moisture, the whole of the grass is looking green, and there is plenty of feed. The earlier-sown crops of maize are looking extremely well, but some of the later sown will not be fit for much but feeding off. Going through the Pahiatua district, some very good strikes of turnips and rape are to be seen on bush land, which has recently been broken in, but some of the later-sown crops of rape are poor. Grass, however, is plentiful, but between there and Eketahuna conditions are decidedly dry. The unsatisfactory news from Home is having its effect on the fat stock markets, and buyers for export have almost ceased to operate except for small lines of good light sheep and lambs which can' be got way for early shipment. Breeders are now faced with the fact that the export price for sheep has dropped by another farthing a pound, while freights on frozen meat have risen by practically 4d. per head. The shortage of railway trucks is a serious drawback to getting to the works sheep which have already been sold, and until the position becomes less acute farmers have to hold their sheep, which are eating off paddocks which should be reserved for autumn use. It is stated that in the Dannevirke district alone over 5000 fat sheep and nearly 2000 lambs are held up from this cause. With the unsatisfactory outlook for the cheese market at Home, nearly all the factories have stopped making cheese, and those which have the necessary plant have turned their attention to buttermaking. Some of the cheese factories which have closed down are sending their milk to the dried milk works at Bunnythorpe. While the reduction of •a farthing a pound in the freight of cheese will, in the long run, mean a saving of over .£200,000 to the producers in the Dominion, this is counterbalanced to a great extent by inability to get space, and the possibility of the bulk of our output not reaching the London markets before the annual Canadian output gets there. With this competition it is impossible to say what prices will rule. 'The prices offered for store sheep are such that owners are not prepared to accept them except in a few individual cases, where circumstances compel them to sell. There is practically no demand for store cattle, the only class widen meets any sale being good, young dairy heifers.