HUGE INCREASES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1944, Page 4

HUGE INCREASES

VEGETABLE CROPS

AUSTRALIA'S PRODUCTION

"The Minister for Commerce and Agriculture (Mr. Scully) and the Food Controller (Mr. F. J. Murphy) have accomplished a magnificent job under great difficulties," said the Hon. T. G. D'Alton, High Commissioner for Australia, Avhen he outlined to delegates attending the annual conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Growers, in conference- yesterday afternoon, what had been accomplished in increased vegetable production in Australia since the outbreak of war. Of the several systems operating, the most popular, he said, was that of contract growing, under which contracts were made between the Commonwealth Government and groAvers at guaranteed prices, which Avere considerably higher than those obtained in normal times. Priority for fertilisers tvas given to contract growers; in fact, there Avas none available for non-con-tract growers. An intense publicity campaign had been carried on, and every encouragement was given the home gardener; schools had played a great part. "Not only haA'e'they produced large quantities of vegetables in the school grounds, but they have taken OA'er land not being used by local farmers, and are producing crops under the contract system." The mechanisation of industry, Mr. D __lton added, had been advanced at least 25 years since the outbreak of war, so that enormously increased areas and yields had been achieved and harvesting had been reduced to a fraction of previous costs. "Without mechanisation Australia coula not have met her food targets," he said. POTATO TARGET. The potato goal for 1944-45 has been fixed at 278,000 acres, compared with 174,000 acres in 1943-44. In setting that goal an allowance of 2.751b per head per Aveek was made for civilians, comoared with 21b per head used in computing the 1943-44 requirements, an increase stated by the nutrition authorities to be necessary to compensate for the reduction in supplies of other foodstuffs. It was recognised that the production of some other crops Avould necessarily be reduced in order to achieve the potato goal, but the food value and advantages of potatoes were high. . ~ In 1942-43 62,729,0001b of A'egetables ivere canned, an increase of more than 500 per cent, on the 1938-39 figure of 10,255,0001b. The target for 1944-45, called for the canning of 112,000,0001b. j Dehydration of vegetables, practically unknown in Australia before the war, Avas a major factor in the food programme today. Fifteen factories were, in operation, and fifteen more were under construction. This season 80,000 tons of fresh vegetables ivould yield 10,000 tons of the dried product. The year before the war the quantity of vegetables used for canning ivas 5000 tons; in 1942-43 the quantity used for canning and dehydrating was 38,000 tons, and for 1943-44 the quantity ivas 130,000 tons. The production goal for 1943-44 for vegetables, excluding potatoes and- blue peas, tvas 288,700 acres. For blue peas the production goal for 1944-45 Avas 600.000 bushels, and from the 278,000 acres planned for potato growing in 1944-45 a yield of approximately 600.000 tons Avas expected.