FARM COSTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22901, 2 December 1937, Page 17

FARM COSTS

Sir, —A recent statement of Mr. J. H. Furniss, vice-president of the Auckland Provincial Farmers' Union that "allowing for capital and maintenance charges, the loss on an average dairy farm of 100 acres in the Waikato would be more than £-100 this year," is cither a very exaggerated statement or the average dairy farm in the Waikato is uneconomic at any price. His basis of a farming proposition producing 1401b. fat per acre, which, he says,"would need to be good cows on a good farm kept in good order," is a poor advertisement for Waikato. In the Bay of there are farms producing * 4001b. fat' per acre, many producing .'3001b., and very few Fess than 200 to 2501b. fat per acre. Apparently the Waikato farmer does not rear his replacements. The Bay of Plenty farmer does, so does not have to buy his replacements, and still produces more, fat per acre. Further, we make quite a profit out of pigs—up to 3d and 4d a lb. butterfat. According to Mr. Furniss, the Waikato farmer does not bother about pigs. Mr. Furniss puts labour down at £4 13s 4d a week, being one and one-third men at £3 10s. Very few men here are paid £3 10s a week, and, if they were, the man with his one-third (a boy) could manage without the boss. Perhaps the average Waikato farmer manages that way. Then, again, Mr. Furniss' average Waikato farmer has £9OO in tractor, truck and car. No wonder his losses would be more than £4OO for the year. He would need another 7d a lb. to cover his loss of £4OO, and another 4d to make his wage up to the wage of an efficient business man. Does Mr. Furniss expect that the Government should tax the public to find this extra lid, or where does he think it should come from? F.B.M.