31 MILLION SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 259, 29 July 1937, Page 10

31 MILLION SHEEP

Dominion’s Record Return MARKET PROSPECTS “It is gratifying to note the substantial increase in this year’s total number of sheep, the returns showing over one million higher than last year,” said Mr. H. D. Acland, president of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation, moving the adoption of the report at tlie federation’s annual meeting in Wellington yesterday. “The returns for this year constitute a record for the Dominion, being over 31 million head, and, roughly, 370,000 more than the previous highest total returned in 1930. There are indications of a swing over toward sheep-farming on tlie part of dairy-farmers to a certain extent, the higher returns for wool and the stable prices received for lamb being no doubt responsible for this. “Indications are that during the coming season we may expect marketing conditions and price levels to approximate to those of the season just passed, provided the expenditure in Great Britain is maintained at somewhere near the existing levels, and Britisli trade continues to improve. ( This is, of course, an unknown quantity at the present time, in view of the exceedingly complex conditions of world trade, but we can only continue, as in the past, to use our best efforts to improve tlie quality, and, where possible, increase tlie quantity of our product in order that we may continue to meet the costs of production for export, and leave ourselves a sufficient margin of profit on which to live and carry on our business.

“Looking back over tlie slump period, with tlie average price for our wool clip for three years at less than s.]d. a lb., it must be a source of great pride to our industry to know that during that difficult period our industry stood up to the necessity of making tlie necessary adjustments in costs, ami continued to produce under conditions which at times almost appeared to hold out no hope for the future. “This season, prices have advanced to a point where some of the obligations incurred during that period may be adjusted, and I can only express tlie hope that during the coming year existing price levels may be retained, not only for wool and meat, but for all classes of primary produce for export.”