DOMINION LIVESTOCK TOTALS SHOW. DECLINE

Northern Advocate, 13 August 1948, Page 2

DOMINION LIVESTOCK TOTALS SHOW. DECLINE

UNDER practically every heading, the Dominion’s livestock numbers in 1947 shoved noticeable decreases on the 1946 totals. The beef and dairy cattle, horse, pig and sheep populations all declined in varying degrees. This fact has been revealed in the Government’s agricultural and pastoral statistic.; for 1946-47.

A steady decline in the cav\ population during the past seven years was indicated. In 1941 the tola! stood at 1.759,000, but since then it has de-

Details of the types of unimproved land indicate the extent to which areas previously in production have reverted to fern, scrub and second growth. In 1940, the tola! area in fern, scrub and second growth was 4,299,732 acres. Jp. seven years this area has increased to 4.717,109 acres. During 1917, an increase in the acreage of pasture land was recorded, the area expanding* from 17.955,014 acres in 1946 to 18.076.757 acres.

creased annually to 1.602.000 l'or 1940 and 1.05.8,000 lor 1947. The total number of cat!!:: in 1947 was 03,090 less than: in 39'!. being 4.634.000, compared with 4.037.0J0. Sheep shorn in 1947 totalled : 0.215,000. or 261.000 less than the previous year.

Lambs shorn declined from 5 335 000 to 4,929.000, and lambs mi led decreased from 19,561,000 to 18,642,030. Details of the numbers of sheep, including lambs, and the numbers of breeding ewes for 1946. were not available. but 1947 figures showed declines on the particulars available for 1945. In this three-year period the number of sheep, including lambs, fell from 33,975.000 to 32,632.000, and the number of breeding ewes dropped from 20.866.000 to 20,744,000. Further declines were also shown in the numbers of sows and the total numbers of pigs, which decreased from 73.000 to 68,000 and 549,000 to 546,000 respectively. AREA OCCUPIED Dominion figures for the areas in cultivation and occupation show that of a total of 43.099.824 acres occupied, 20,103.863 were cultivated, with 22.995.961 acres unimproved. These details reflect a reduction of about 1(?,000 acres in the area of unimproved land and an increase of approximately 20,000 acres in the total area occupied.

Coupled with this wac a big advance in the acreage lopdressed with artificial fertilisers, the 1946 figure being 1.757,762 acres, compared with 2,237.300 acres for 1947. The total area top-dressed with fertiliser and lime rose from 3,653.249 to 4,259,904 acres. MORE HOLDINGS i Since 1938 a slow but steady increase was recorded in the number of holdings, which in 1947 totalled 86.483. A slight variation was also recorded during that period in the average size of holdings. In 1938 the area was 593.78 acres, gradually declining to 498.36 acres for the year under review. An important adjunct to the tabulated statistics is provided by a summary of employment figures in reflation to farm work. The figures include occupiers and the members of the occupiers’ families aclually engaged on the farm. Temporary workers are excluded. They show that fewer people were engaged on farms in 1947 than in 1930 or 1928. In 1947 the total number of persons engaged in farming was 124,386. In 1929 and 3 930 the number was around the 138.093 rg ark. and in 1928 about 329,500. FEWER WOMEN ENGAGED A factor in this connection was the big decrease in the numbers of women so engaged. The 1947 total was 11,500. compared with 22,800 for' 1928 and 18,890 for 1930. In fact, the total number of persons engaged on farms declined by 13,735 between 1930 and 1947, the fall in the case of males being 6400 and in the case of females 7335. During the same period the number of farm holdings increased by 1.5 per cent, the total area cultivated advanced by 4.9 per cent, the area under crops declined by 10.6 per cent, the area of sown grasses increased 5.8 per cent, and the area top-dressed by 60.7 per cent. ' Further to these increases, the number of cows in milk advanced 21.1 per cent, the number o f shorn increased 11.9 per cent, and the number of lambs tailed went ahead by 2,5.2 per cent. MORE MACHINERY Despite the fall in the number 'of persons engaged, a considerable increase in farming activity has occurred since 1930 and this factor is partially explained by the great increase in mechanisation. The following increases, expressed as percentages, were recorded in regard to farm machinery: Electric motors. 402.7 per cent; internal combustion engines. 20.6 per cent; agricultural Lectors. 443.7 per cent; milking plants, 59.7 per cent; shearing machines, 97.0 per cent. Some interesting features are revealed in regard to the regional distribution of male labour on farms between 1930 and 1947. •

The following increases in the various land districts were recorded: — Northland, 4.2 per cent; Auckland, 17.8 ner cent; Gisborne. 3.7 per cent; Hawke’s Bay, 2.1 per cent. In the eight other land districts of the Dominion decreases varying from 6 to 29 per cent were shown, Otago returning the greatest decline.

Throughout the Dominion an average deficit of 5.4 per cent occurred, the North Island figure advancing by 2.9 per cent, with the South Island declining by 19.9 per cent.