CROP SHORTAGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21603, 4 January 1945, Page 5

CROP SHORTAGES

DROUGHT EFFECT AUSTRALIAN OUTLOOK CRITICISM OF CABINET (Special Correspondent.) (9 a.rn.) SYDNEY, Jan. 3. The continued drought is having a serious effect ori Australia’s footi production. Unless late summer and autumn rains fall, severe shortages during the winter months are inevitable. and supplies of practically every type of food will be affected. Drastic milk rationing throughout Australian cities in the near future is certain, an official of the New South Wales Milk Board said to-day. /‘Supplies are falling, and we are living from day to day," he said.

The secretary of the New South Wales Dairymen’s Association, Mr. F. ,1. Sedgwick, said that the dairying industry in this State was facing its greatest disaster. At a time when there should be plenty of feed, and when the herds should be heavy with rich milk, the worst drought in history

was gripping huge areas of Australia. Where the paddocks should be kneedeep in pasture they were as bare as a dance floor. Because the black marketeers had achieved a substantial “corner” on fodder, prices for feed had sky-rocketed beyond the means of most dairy-farmers. Many dairyfarmers were forced to carry water for their herds for considerable distances.

A Commonwealth Wheat Board spokesman said to-day that there was no danger of bread rationing because of wheat shortage caused by • the drought, but Australia would be unable to meet its wheat-export commitments for the year. In New South Wales this season’s wheat crops would be 18,000,000 bushels instead'of the usual 50,000,000 bushels. In Victoria, the crop would be about . 6,000,000 bushels instead of 30,000,000. Wheatseed stocks for next season would hi sufficient, but fodder supplies were low and a great strain would be placed on Australia's shipping resources to transport wheat to New South Wales and Victoria from other States. Cereal Foods Already Short A cereal shortage has made oatmeal porridge almost unprocurable, and has led to a shortage‘of other breakfast foods. Egg production has also been advei’sely affected. Householders in all States have been urged to gripw more of their own vegetables. With crops dwindling, the huge demands of the services for fresh, dried ana canned vegetables will be increased this year by the requirements of the British Pacific Fleet. Food authorities believe that meatrationing in Australia will be extended within a month to include cooked meats, previously coupon-free. This would secure a large part of the 40,000 tons of meat which Australia must save this year, in order to meet her commitments. Official estimates set Australia’s meat production for 1945 at about 960,000 tons, compared with more than 1,000,000 tons in 1944.

Meanwhile the drought conditions give no sign of abating. The Federal capital territory in 1944 had the driest year in its 24-years’ history, the rainfall being about one-third .betow the normal. The formerly rich Riverina district of South-West New South vVales had its driest year since 1860. Australia’s food position will be discussed at a meeting of the Federal Agricultural Council this month. Meanwhile considerable criticism has been made of the Government's Handling of the problem. “Tne Government’s bungling of rural problems has been largely responsible for the decrease in Australia s agricultural output,” said the Country Party leader, Mr. A. W. Fadden. When the Japs entered the war, and i became evident that increasing demands would be made on Australia to .apply essential foodstuffs, the Curtin Government did not shape its policy to meet the war and civilian requirenents The total area under crops has declined from more than 20,000,000 acres in 1941-42 to less than 16,000,000 acres in 1943-44.

ahe deplorable f ood situation ekist•ng to-day is not so much the fault of ‘.ne drought as of the Government said the secretary of the Farmers and ;cttlers’ Association, Mr, Cambridge. There is a second drought in Governnent ability and initiative in handling the position.”