Serious Outlook For Dominion's Food Supplies

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1947, Page 10

Serious Outlook For Dominion's Food Supplies

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. If the current decline in the production of basic carbohydrate foodstuffs were not arrested m New Zealand, the country might find itself dangerously near starvation point, said Mr T. L. Hayman, vice-chairman of the Dominion Agriculture Sectio'n of Federated Farmers, yesterday, in an address to the agriculture section executive of the North Canterbury district of Federated Farmers in Christchurch. Mr Hayman referred, particularly to the prospects of potato-growing in the Dominion, but he also referred to the outlook for wheat and oats supplies.

The acreage of potatoes,grown in South Canterbury had declined from 4000 last season to. 265.3 this season—a drop of more than .3.3 1-3 per cent, said Mr Hayman. This was somewhere about the overall decline throughout the Dominion. With price stabilisation, the acreage was going down steadily, and there was no indication of an increase next year. Public opinion should be mobilised to recjuest that the stabilisation authorities should be empowered to give incentive payments to increase the acreage of potatoes grown. Carbohydrate Foodstuffs The potato position would be serious enough in itself; but wheat had suffered a comparative decline, only 140,000 acres, or l£ss than half New Zealand's requirements, being grown this season; and a record low ngure for oats production had been reported. These three commodities were the basis of New Zealand’s carbohydrate food .supply. In the long view, New Zealand might find overseas wheat supplies unobtainable, and the supply of oats and potatoes at a point dangerously near starvation. When it came to securing increased acreages of foodstuffs, continued Mr Hayman, some incentive would have to be given growers. Potato growers were faced with heavy costs in planting, and the question arose whether the money was safei’ in the ground, where seed was subject to all the vagaries of the season, or in the bank. The labour position was “plain bad,” said Mr Hayman. He thought the 40hour week was the root cause of present labour difficulties. Supplies for Britain Mr Hayman said ,he thought the target of 25,000 acres of potatoes next year, which had been set by the recent aid to Britain conference in Wellington, “pretty optimistic.” The following five points had been made to the chaiman of the Aid-to-Britain Committee, Mr F. P. Walsh as prerequisites to achieving the target: (1) Labour, both domestic and farm, would have to be made available; (2) an assurance was required that when the potato crop was ready to be delivered, transport would be available; (3) sufficient sacks should be offering; (4) there should be sufficient machinery and spare parts'; and (5) farmers should have the assurance of co-operation from othei* sections of the community.

He had made representations to Mr Walsh on the fifth point, said Mr Hayman; and Mr Walsh had replied that if the farmers did not do the job, their land would be taken from them. “They couldn’t do the job even if they did take the land from us,” commented Mr Hayman. The time would come,- said Mr Hayman, when people would be begging the farmers to continue on the land to produce food. An assurance had been received from the Government that the removal of subsidies and increased costs would be taken into account in fixing the new season’s prices for potatoes.