THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1930. FLOCKS, HERDS AND OUTPUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20604, 1 July 1930, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1930. FLOCKS, HERDS AND OUTPUT

' Fob three years now the shecp--1 owners of New Zealand have been creating fresh records in the aggregate flocks which make up the sheep population of the country. The interim return for 1930, giving a total of 30,637,390, outstrips by more than 1,500,000 the unequalled figure of the year before, while 1928 in its turn created a record. The previous highest, 26,538,302', returned in 1918, has now been left behind by a very substantial margin. As the interim statement is normally lower than the final return—last year it was less by 40,000 —the 30,000,000 mark, passed for the first time in the history of the pastoral industry, has been exceeded by virtually threequarters of a million. There was a time when wool and other sheep products stood much higher relatively in the list of New Zealand's exported commodities —that was before the j rise of dairying—but they have never before reached the absolute standard j now established. It must not be imagined they are of small signifi- [ cance even in the Auckland Pro--1 vince; where dairying is so much in the ascendant. The Auckland district, which does not correspond exactly with the province, now supports more than 3,300,000 sheep. It is the one where the greatest increase for the year has been shown, this probably following the realisation that the North has possibilities not fully recognised before for producing fat laubs for export. There is another point of importance about this increase in flocks. Though the sheepowner ; s conventionally represented as the man of many acres and great possessions, the annual statistical returns show that tho overwhelming majority own sheep in hundreds., or one or two thousands. The single or family properties carrying sheep in tens of thousands are comparatively few in number. Tim feature, moderate-sized flocks, is especially true of the Auckland district, where the greatest numerical increase has been shown. Many people ars concerned in tho effort represented, the benefits to accrue will be .widely spread.. The natural sequel to the rise in the sheep population is, of, course, an increaso in products from the flocks. This may be l'egarded with restrained enthusiasm since wool prices showed so heavy a drop at this season's sales, especially the earlier ones. Rates improved, however, later, and though the woolgrower may not be inspired to rejoice over the results of the year, neither should he despair of better things before long. In the other department of his activities, the year was a little uneven. The export of lambs for the 1930 season was huge, the carcases numbering 6.182,930. This total has not been equalled previously. The mutton carcases exported were slightly more than last year, but a. good deal fewer than the level of four to five years ago. It is too much, no doubt, to expect that the flocks should increase, the expert of fat lambs reach such dimensions, and the mutton carcase level be maintained also. On another side of the pastoral industry the season just closed has been one of high production. The dairying year has just closed. The figures for the whole of it are not yet available, but enough is known to show what its character has been. The Dominion figures for ten months showed an increase in butter-fat production for 1929-30 of nearly 10 per cent, compared with 1928-29. Butter represented the greater part of this, the bulk being 17.57 per cent, higher than in tho season before. Cheese remained r.hnost stationary, tho increase being slightly less than onethird of 1 per cent. In the Auckland Province the riso in dairying products for 11 months, reduced to a butter-fat equivalent, was 17 per cent. Even with a reduced price level—an unfortunate feature of the dairying season too—it has been estimated that the return for that period will be more than £380,000 greater than for the same part of the 1928-29 season. Neither sheepowner nor dairy-farmer has reaped the full reward ho presumably expected when he increased his activities, but it is reasonable to hope his day of realisation has been but delayed, not put off permanently'by this drop in the level of returns.

From the national aspect the growth of flocks and herds and the rise in the level of productivity is a developmeut of great importance. The area of production has not increased to the extent that could be desired, b it the rate commensurate with the land in occupation has been intensified. This should help in the restoration of prosperity. With the prices what they have been, the margin of return has been lower than was expected, but flic reasonable estimate of the result is a slower rate of progress than would otherwise have been experienced, not a set-back. In one respect the New Zealand producer can calculate his prospects with more confidence than can those of many other countries. Seasonal conditions, averaged over even a few years, are fairly uniform. He need dread nothing so severe as the droughts which afflict many parts of Australia, for instance. With this climatic dp pendability, one of the Dominion's greatest assets, with the proved in dustry and tenacity of the great army of primary producers, the

future should hold no terrors, given certain conditions under the control of other people. With the general exercise of reasonable economy, especially directed toward keeping imports at a safe level, with'a policy that avoids piling up the public debt to excessive heights, with abstention from unsound public enterprises offering little prospect of a profitable return, there should be 110 need to fear for the future of New Zealand. Unreasoning optimism is not helpful, but optimism based on the evidence of what the soil will produce when handled with skill, industry and persistence, is well founded. -The growth in the flocks and the steady, unchecked riso in the dairying output are two very significant pieces of evidence.'