CHATHAM ISLANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 14

CHATHAM ISLANDS

HANDICAPS TO FARMING HIGH FREIGHT TO MAINLAND LARGE CHANGE-OVER TO SHEEP [by telegraph—owx correspondent] DUXEDIX, Wednesday An improving pastoral industry, in spite of scrioiis handicaps, was discovered by Mr. <l. M. Smith, fields Superintendent of the Department ot Agriculture in Otago and Southland on tho Chatham Islands, when he visited that outpost of the Dominion with a party of departmental officers for the purpose of inaugurating a farm extension service there. Mr, Smith, who was accompanied by Mr. E. J. Lukey (Veterinary Service, limaru), and Mr. J. E. Duncan (wool instructor, Wellington), has just returned after a stay of some weeks on tho islands.

There were approximately 200,000 acres of farming land on the islands, and much of it was first-class pastoral country which was being admirably fanned, said Mr. Smith. Unfortunately there was a great preponderance of peaty land, and, although these peats were far more tractable than those found in New Zealand, the average production of such country was low. "There is an area of from 15,000 to 20.000 acres of dairying land on the islands also," Mr. Smith said, "and at one time a dairy factory operated; il t To One, a few .miles from the chief port, Waitangi. The dairying industry with its many ties, however, does not. seem to have any great appeal for the islanders, and they have now gone over almost entirely to sheep."

At the present time, Mr. Smith said, there were over 100,000 sheep on the islands, and this number appeared to be increasing steadily. Several progressive New Zealand farmers had lately either taken up land themselves or assumed the management of stations over there, and they had achieved a remarkable improvement in production and in the class of stock. The secret of success in these instances was the use of cattle to consolidate the country for sheep. "The Chatham Islanders havo no greater handicap," Mr. Smith continued. "than the heavy freights they are called upon to pay to get their produce from the farm to the mainland markets. As an instance of this, it costs 10s a head to land sheep at the Addington salcyards. It may be thought that wjth such a hurdle very few sheep would be sold in New Zealand, but actually between 6000 and 10,000 sheep find their way on to the Canterbury market every year. , "The cost of getting a bale of wool from the Islands to Christchurch is 275. It will be readily agreed by mainland farmers that, however high they regard their costs at present, they are not up to the heavy charge on their land which the Chatham Islanders have to face."