FOOD PRODUCTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20569, 31 May 1941, Page 6

FOOD PRODUCTION

BRITISH AND HOME NEEDS DOMINION’S VITAL DUTY (Per Pres* Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. The Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, in opening the Otago Winter Show yesterday, said the conduct of the war called for the utmost effort from the Dominion as v whole, but particularly from the primary industries, who were playing such a vital part in the supply of essential foodstuffs to the front line of battle. The general programme of primaryproduction for the coming year alreadyhad been widely published. He would however emphasise the following points in this connection: First, the additional change-over from butter to cheese to produce 160,000 tons of cheese was of paramount importance. Secondly, the importance of the Dominion producing the maximum wool clip could not be over-stressed as this commodity was a vital war material and was amongst the essential requirements of the United Government.

In so far as meat production was concerned, it was impossible at this stage of the negotiations with the United Kingdom Government to give any detailed information, and the position as far as it could be covered had been covered in the production programme announced earlier. The Minister emphasised the need for increased primary production to maintain New Zealand’s own standard of living in addition to the requirements of the United Kingdom Government. In this connection increased crops of wheat and malting barley were essential. They must also aim to produce sufficient seeds of arable crops and vegetables to meet the Dominion's needs, together with a surplus available for export or as a carry-over in case of seeds which did not rapidly decline in germination capacity.