ANNUAL REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1932, Page 8

ANNUAL REPORT

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ENCOURAGING FEATURES. !■ WELLINGTON, Oct. 25 “The outlook is not without encoi -aging, features,” says the Ministe: for Agriculture (the Hon. C. E. Macmillan), in Ins foreword to the annual report of the Department of Agriculture, which was presented to Parliament - to-day. . “The reactions of tile Jfnpei'ial Economic Conference at OttaWa: v ‘i)iay be' expected to manifest themselves appreciably before long; ail'd there is hope that further developments on wider lines towaid price-level restoration may follow. The generally improved tone in- the Mother Country is alnother favourable sign, and New Zealand agriculture will more than welcome any definite betterment in its great consuming market.” Those sections of .New Zealand’s pastoral industry represented by moat and wool were hearing the brunt oi the price fall, and this was largely responsible ior a disquieting feature of the present position—the ( marked • shrinkage in the country’s sheep stocks during the past two years, said the Minister. The extremely low price of wool, in particular, had od- ■ viously led to heavy overselling of sheep and lambs for the meat trade by farmers" -compelled to realise ih the effort to irieet their financial commitments. ■ The dairy industry, fortu•natelv, had’been" hit less hard, 1 and at present constituted a ' particularly • which formed such an essential part of. the Dominion’s' 1 financial structure.

The fruit-growing industry, " stated the Minister, had continued steadily to expand its commercial production.; and the results generally, aided by the support accorded-/ by the Government guarantee on exports of apples and; pea:'s,>. were most- encouraging; Measures had been taken during the year further to safeguard the Government s, liability under the- guarantee, at the; same time strengthening the self-de-pendence of the industry, and it was pi-oposed to Carry this ' policy a step; further 'during the coming seas .n. : “The Government,” continued the Miliister, “is fully alive tO" the -vital necessity of maintaining primary production aild - keeping farmers effectively on the land, vnd is employing all available, resources for this purpose; Among' t special, measures taken may be mentioned- subsidies on fertiliser manufacture and railage, and the extended'rural credit, facilities, together with legislation for mortgagors’ relief and rent and interest reduction. Tjhe recently-launched Small Farm Plan also Largely designed for a similar end, and it is tints fitting that the Department of Agriculture - should have been entrusted with the task of obtaining land and settling men under this scheme.”