Trend Of Dominions' Primary Production

Northern Advocate, 7 December 1946, Page 3

Trend Of Dominions' Primary Production

Considerable fluctuations in New Zealand's livestock population figures are revealed in a comparison of agricultural and pastoral statistics for the 1945 and 1 !741! seasons. Cropping areas and yields show fairly substantial declines in many cases. A general survey of the statistical tables indicates the extent to which most farming operations were affected by last year’s drought. Crops which do not show decreased yields include some of those grown under most favourable conditions in South Tsland districts where a normal sea- | son was experienced last summer. The total number of dairy cows in milk, horses and pigs in the Dominion at January 31 this year was 78.000 less than (he total for the previous year. ; Dairy cows in milk at that date totalled 1.678.943 as against 1.661.944 this year—a decline of 16.999. On the other hand the total number of all I cattle rose from 4,590.926 to 4.666,782. j representing an increase of 65.756 head. Figures for beef cattle and the total number of dairy cattle, including cows in milk at January 31. 1946. were 2.066.309 and 2.600,308 respectively. Particulars under these two headings for 1945 were not available. ALARMING DECLINE

Prominent men in New Zealand’s pig industry have recently drawn' the farmers’ attention to the alarming decline in the Dominion’s pig population. The statistics clearly show the magnitude of this decline during the past two years. The total number of breeding sows fell by 4629 from 77,202 to 72,573 between 1945 and 1946.

tjj During the same period the total | number of pigs declined by 54.437. m At January 31, 1945, the pig populaij tion was 593,828. decreasing to 549,391 1 1 at the beginning of this year. Offsetting the substantial decreases I [ shown above the number of sheep | shorn increased by 191,063 to 30,475.(1| 740. Lambs shorn rose by 90,869 to Jj | 5,335,050 and the number tailed in- |! creased by 108,152 to 19,561,458. g | Indicative of slight increases in fer- || liliser supplies, the total area of | grassland top dressed with only arj! tificial fertiliser increased from *! 1,602,887 acres to 1,757,762 acres. At the same time the number of acres

jjj top dressed with lime decreased by |! 119,723 t 0 606.744 acres. <| The total area top dressed with both artificial fertiliser and lime also ij showed a decline from 1.317,037 acres ■\ to 1.288.743 acres. : A slight increase of 6858 acres was ! shown in the total area top dressed. ■ The' total for the Dominion for the |l2 months ended January 31, 1946, j was 3,653,249. FARM MACHINERY j Farm machinery statistics showed I substantial increases from 1942 to : 1946. Figures for the intervening i years were not available. ! The number of electric motors in- | creased from 65,699 to 76,946. Milk- ; ing machine totals advanced by 318 ito 31,805. At the same time the nurn- | ber of cows in milk on holdings where j milking machines were employed de- | dined by 36,154, from 1.532,637 lo j 1,496,483. Shearing machines and plants in- ! creased from 11,555 to 13,544. and 128,611 to 32.167 respectively.

I The number of cream separator; declined from 5-1,107 to -17.780. State tics relating to principal crop: grown throughout the buininioi j during 10-15 and 19-Ki indicated Ilia greater areas had been sown lor liar vesting seed while the acreage ant yield of grain crops principally wheat, oats, and barley—recorded decreases. Of interest to Northland farmer: is the fact that while the area anc yield of maic for threshing decreased substantially the amount ol tpaize grown for green fodder purpose: | increased to a greater extent. In tlvj 1044-45 season 8473 acres were grown for threshing as against 7034 for last year. The total acreage sown for feeding off or cutting for green fodder was 0108, increasing to 8087 for the 1045-40 season. A general and perturbing decline in the acreage of fodder crops was also revealed. 81 P.C. IIAY DECLINK Grasses and clovers cut for hay j showed a decline in acreage sown | from 498.111 to 403.496. JThe yield j dropped by a considerably greater j percentage. In the 1944-45 season j 970.710 tons were produced. This' fell to 074,783 tons for the 1945-40 j season, a decline of nearly 290,0001 tons, or 31 per cent. For ensilage 50,543 acres of grasses j and clover were sown in the 1944-45 j season, compared with only 38,597 for j the following year. The yield de- ] dined by 37 per cent, 135.808 tons j resulting last year as against 218,777 j tons for the 1944-45 season. j

Other acreages sown last year.; with 1944-45 figures shown in paren- i theses, were: Lucerne for hay or silage. 41,416 < 4G.455 >: swdUes, 172,861 (170,363): turnips, white fleshed, soft. 117.298 (117.067); yellow fleshed, hard. 54.824 (66,911); rape. 155.225 (157,832): kale including chou mocllier. 78.561 ! (77.589); turnips and rape mixed.; 35,707 (39.074); mangolds. 4092 (4872); j lupin for green fodder. 5362 (4877). j