LARGE HAY CROP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23830, 4 December 1940, Page 10

LARGE HAY CROP

EXCEPTIONAL YIELD HARVESTING IN PROGRESS SCARCITY OF LABOUR Full advantage of the fine weather over the past 10 days has been taken by farmers to carry out haymaking, and long hours are being worked on most farms to complete operations while the ideal conditions prevail. In some districts the reaping of the crop and the stacking or baling of the hay have been completed. As a result of the early spring and the exceptional growth the crops are much heavier than last year, and from lands that have yielded an average of about two tons of hay to the acre in past years upwards of three tons are being harvested. The returns vary, of course, according to the districts, and in some localities four tons to the acre is stated to be quite common. In the Wiri district last year the high yield of five tons an acre was recorded, and baling contractors stated yesterday that similar harvests may be expected in some localities this season. Ample Winter Supplies "We shall literally have hay to burn this year," stated a farmer in the South Auckland district. The yield last season was good and there was a fairly large surplus due to the open and congenial conditions of the past winter. The carryover and this year's crops would ensure that ample dry feed would be available for the coming winter. An increasing tendency to hale the hay, instead of stacking it, has received an impetus this year on account of the labour shortage in spite of the greatlyincreased costs of operating baling plants. Instancing these increases, a contractor stated yesterday that baling wire, which in pro-war days cost under L'2o a ton, had advanced to £sl a ion. Supplies had been short for a time, but the position had recently been remedied. Labour Not Attracted Men skilled in the art of stack-build-ing are said to be very scarce and casual labour for haymaking has also been difficult to obtain in consequence of the military calls for men. The labour problem is not confined to the farming side of primary industry, stated a factory manager yesterday. He knew of several dairy factories that were under-staffed. It was exceedingly difficult to induce men to accept employment in an industry that worked seven days a week when there were openings in other industries enjoying a 40-hour week confined to five days.