PURELY GRASS FARMING

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 16

PURELY GRASS FARMING

The outstanding trend of New Zealand farming at present, is the movement toward purely grass farming. Farmers are becoming graziers, highly skilled ones certainly, but nevertheless grazing is not complete farming. For a generation past’effort has been directed to producing more; to-day it is concentrated upon producing more cheaply. Three or four years ago the Department of Agriculture undertook a vigorous and well-directed propaganda to induce farmers to employ more labour. The inspiration of this campaign was the need to lessen unemployment. It was, however, shown that more men could advantageously be employed upou the farms of the Dominion. One example given was ot a dairy farm employing an extra man to enable more and better crops to be grown, also enabling more grass to be saved as hay and ensilage. Against the cost of his employment was set the returns from additional butterfat to be expected. Even at 9d. per lb. fat, the engagement was profitable.

How greatly has the position reversed! Butterfat and other products have risen 50 per cent, in value. One would, therefore, exited to see more men employed than before. Unemployment is still with us, with 21,000 or more men on sustenance and 5000 odd youths unemployed; but there is a definite shortage of labour on the farms. This labour shortage is the most important' factor in the present trend Another is that costs of production tend to run elose to the value of returns. Dairy herds are being reduced, or dispersed altogether, and the grazing available given to sheep. Areas of cash crops, such as grains for sale off the farm, are lessened. So, too, are the areas of forage crops, grown as supplementary feed for cattle and sheep. These must henceforth live 'on what the pastures provide.

Pure grass farming has two great points in its favour: economy of. and practical independence of, labour and utter cheapness of production per unit produced. Furthermore, under skilled management, it can produce . surprisingly well. »

Of all the world’s farm lands, none other is so suited to this type of farming as is average New Zealand country. Even here, however, there are serious disabilities to the practice of pure grazing. The whole of our East Coast country, from Wairoa down to Oainuru, is subject to dry spells, even drought. Otago, Southland, the Canterbury back country and the North Island central plateau all experience long and rather severe winters.

Even on the most-favoured country, growth of pastures generally slackens in mid-winter. Ample supplies of well-saved hay and ensilage can largely provide for these periods. But, even so, it will be generally conceded that supplementary crops would provide better returns. Whether they so desire or not, most farmers feel the pressure to-day to become pure grass farmers. Eventually this means less employment provided by the land and production below what could have been.