FARM PRODUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24619, 29 May 1941, Page 6

FARM PRODUCTION

PLANS FOR NEW SEASON COMMENT BY MR A. C. LEARY NOT GREATLY IMPRESSED j Mr A. C. Leary, chairman of the Otago Primary Production Council, who has spent a lifetime in farming, is not greatly impressed with the plans announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr J G. Barclay, for New Zealand's agricultural production for the 1941-42 season. In an interview with a Daily Times reporter yesterday, Mr Leary said that many of th-2 specific objectives mentioned bv Mr Barclay would not really be very difficult of attainment—in fact, many of them were at the present | time being striven for successfully by farmers. What he would have liked, and what most of the farmers in Otago and, no doubt, in New Zealand, would have liked, was a more enlightening lead from the Government regarding aspects of farming and its promotion. Some of the objectives were, however, so obvious as not to require elabora- , tion. The others could, said Mr Leary, have been far more conclusive. He realised, however, that the Minister must have been faced with many difficulties in endeavouring to draw up a comprehensive plan which would cover the whole of the farming activi-, ties of the Dominion.- but even so the | result, Mr Lsary said, was disappointing , I

Cheese Supplies

Mr Leary remarked that so far as the production of cheese was concerned the Minister asked for an increase in the auantity of 40,000 tons to 50,000 tons over this year's production, bnnging the total up to 160.000 tons. He thought, Mr Leary said, that this objective could be obtained without great difficulty. Neither did he think there would be much difficulty in achieving another objective —the sowing for next season's wheat croo of 300.000 acres. Another objective which should be quite easily achieved was the planting of an increased area of 12.000 acres in linen flax. Not a great deal of extra effort would be required to bring about the two last-named objectives. Then, again, every farmer would naturally enough endeavour to grow all the wool he could. Other aspects of the plan outlined by Mr Barclay did not appear to him as so easy of attainment, or at least so alluring to the farmer. Mr Leary said. For instance, in regard to the meat objective, the Minister had still not reaffirmed definitely that the Government would pay for all the meat killed for export this season. The Minister had stated that the area sown in oats for the coming season should be sufficient to meet all the requirements of the Dominion, Mr Leary continued. That opinion was not generally held by those who had studied the position. If New Zealand was to continue to make large quantities of oatmeal to provide food for our soldiers overseas, Mr Leary continued, he would say that the area to be sown would not prove sufficient. Shortage of Fertiliser

Mr Leary agreed that the shortage of fertiliser was beyond the control of the Government. The Minister had included in his objectives certain suggestions by which the supplies could be conserved. The fact remained, however, that a conference which had been held in Dunedin to discuss the shortage had also made suggestions regarding rationing, and these had been forwarded to the Minister. Mr Leary held that these suggestions had been worthy of serious consideration. The objectives concerning rabbit control did not arouse any enthusiasm in Mr Leary. He said that this menace had caused deep concern in Otago, and that a conference of thpse interested had given serious consideration to the matter and had submitted a comprehensive and. he thought, a valuable report to the Government making certain suggestions. So far no reply had been received from the Government giving an indication of what it thought about the report.