AGRICULTURE'S PLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 8

AGRICULTURE'S PLIGHT.

Even in the present economic condition of the world, with depression weighing down almost every form of industry, agriculture is so specially down in the depths that its plight was no inappropriate subject for discussion by the British Association. General Smuts, who delivered the opening address in the debate, spoke of primary industry as if it were synonymous with agriculture, the craft of the farmer. It is not, and, broadly speaking, all branches of primary industry are in difficulties at present. Kubber-growing has suffered a slump almost as dramatic as the boom which ruled for many years. The plight of mining is indicated by desperately low prices for many metals, by the economic straits of the coal industry in a dozen countries. Yet agriculture, the oldest of them all, and the most nearly universal, rightly claims chief concern when the plight of primary industry is under review. The question is, as General Smuts expounded it, one which concerns the Empire nearly. Reference was made to the prediction, years ago, by Sir William Crookes, that the growth of population would outstrip the world's food producing capacity within measurable time. Science, as was said, has proved it a vast mistake. Wheat is usually quoted as the food commodity of chief importance. There is such a worldwide glut of grain to-day that experts proclaim a limitation of acreage sown the only possible remedy for the desperate situation of the wheat producer. The plantbreeder. by producing new disease-

resisting and quick-maturing varieties, the manufacturing chemist by supplying fertilisers synthetically made, have combined to multiply yields to such a point that profit disappears. With wheat it is definitely a case of over-production. With other products of the soil there is more reason to accept General Smuts' suggestion that better distribution and more orderly marketing should do much toward restoring prosperity to agriculture. The question has been raised at a most appropriate moment. The possibility of Britain abandoning free trade is widely discussed, the advantages of Empire co-operation in the economic field are being pressed into notice. The discussion by tho British Association, with its frank acceptance of the tremendous handicap agriculture in the Empire suffers, should add momentum to this movement.