MORE PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 4

MORE PRODUCTION

Cropping Objectives For New Season DISTRICT TARGETS Increase In Acreages

' District cropping objectives have been fixed for 194-1-45 by the Department of Agriculture and the National Uouneil of Primary Production to assist farmers to plan the maximum production for the coining season. The Dominion production objectives, in-eluding the targets for dairy -produce and meat, were announced last month by the Alinister of Agriculture, Mr. Roberts, and figures showing the district objectives for crops 'have now been circulated to district councils of primary production. The Minister said last evening that it was not intended that farmers should jinmip from one crop to another, but rather that, they should endeavour to intensify mid ’increase the production of the commodities they were accustomed to growing. He bad personally met all the South Island district primary production councils, and also a group in Palmerston North representing some of the North Island councils. It was his intention to meet the remaining North Island councils as soon as possible, specially in the Gisborne and Whakatane districts, where there hud been floods. . ’The New Zealand onion crop in lv4-> 44 came from 1000 acres, which produced well below requirements, but the target for the 1944-45 season has been fixed at 2000 acres. Onions arc grown in thwe main farming districts—Pukekohe. Marshlands and Shannon. It H not proposed to make any specific district allocation for this crop, but to make a general appeal for increased production by farmers and market gardeners who may he in a position to increase onion production. The acreage sown in onions in the Manawatu last season was approximately 280 acres, that in the Pukekohe district 400 acres, and that in North Canterbury 350 acres. Malting Barley and I’eas.

The cropping programme provides for an increase of 8000 acres of malting barley from 30.000 acres last season to 38.000 in the coming season, based on ; 35 bushels an acre. The proposed distribution in acres for the 1944-45 season is as follows, the past season’s acreage threshed being shown in parentheses: Marlborough, 4350 acres (3858) ; Nelson. 1500 acres (1410) ; Canterbury, 25,100 acres (22,257) ; Otago, 6500 acres (5924) ; Southland, 550 acres (300). It is hoped to maintain the present acreage of 35,000 acres of peas, which are an important commodity in the food requirements of the United Nations. Of last season’s production of peas nearly two-thirds came from Canterbury, where 21,500 acres were grown. The district with the next largest yield was Marlborough with 9000 acres. Otago grew 2100 acres. Nelson 750 acres, Wellington 700 acres, and Hawke’s Bay 600 acres. Table Potatoes. To produce the 150.000 tons of table potatoes required it will be necessary to sow 37,500 acres of this crop, this representing an increase of 10,500 acres on the past season. The district targets for potatoes in acres are as follows:—North Canterbury, 13,700; South Canterbury, 6600; Ashburton, 2200; Rangitikei, 1850; Otago, 1900: Southland, 1900: North Auckland. 1750; Manawatu, 1700; Hawke’s Bay, 1100; North Otago. 1000; South Auckland. 925: Nelson. 850; Ohakune. 500; Wairarapa. 500; Marlborough. 500; Gisborne, 325; Taranaki, 200. Wheat. The 1944-45 production aim for wheat has been fixed at 300.000 acres, last season’s acreage being approximately 249,000 acres. The Wairarapa target has been fixed at 4000 acres, as compared with last season’s 3729 acres. Targets for other districts in the North Island and Nelson and Marlborough are as follows, last season's production being given in parentheses: Hawke's Bay. 3500 acres (3120) ; Wanganui, 3500 acres (3450) ; Manawatu. 3500 acres (3324) : Nelson. 1500 acres *1355); Marlborough, 12,000 acres (11,393). The estimated acreage required to produce next season’s linen flax crop is 20 - 6SI acres. All the linen flax factories nre in the South Island, and the allocation to the Blenheim factory district is 1808 acres.