AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25735, 5 January 1945, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT

SERIOUS FOOD POSITION DAIRY INDUSTRY FACES DISASTER (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, Jan. 3. The continued drought is having a serious effect on Australia's food production. Unless late summer and autumn rains fall, severe shortages during the winter months are inevitable. Supplies of practically every type of food will be affected. Drastic milk rationing throughout Australian cities in the near future is certain. An official of the New South Wales Milk Board said to-day: ‘‘Supplies are falling, and we are living from day to day.” The secretary of the New South Wales Dairymen's Association, Mr F. J. Sedgwick, said that the dairying industry in this State was facing its greatest disaster. At a time when there should be plenty of feed and when herds should be heavy with rich milk, the worst drought in history was gripping huge areas of Australia. Where paddocks should be knee-deep in pasture they were as bare as a dance floor. Because “ black marketers ” had achieved a substantial ‘‘corner’’ on fodder, prices for feed had skyrocketed beyond the means of most dairy farmers, many of whom were forced to carry water for their herds for considerable distances. A Commonwealth Wheat Board spokesman said to-day that there was no danger of bread rationing because of the wheat shortage caused by the drought, but Australia would be unable to meet its -wheat export commitments for the year. In New South Wales the season’s wheat crops would be 18,000,000 bushels, instead of the usual 50.000,000 bushels. In Victoria the crop would be about 6,000,000 bushels instead of 30,000,000. Wheat seed stocks for next season would be sufficient, but fodder supplies were low. A great strain would be placed on Australia’s shipping resources to transport wheat to New South Wales and Victoria from other States. The cereal shortage has made oatmeal porridge almost unprocurable, and has led to a shortage of other breakfast foods. Egg production has also been adversely affected. Householders in all States have been urged to grow more of their own vegetables. With crops dwindling, the huge demands of the services for fresh, dried, and canned vegetables will be increased this year by the requirements of the British Pacific Fleet. The food authorities believe that meat rationing in Australia will be extended within a month to include cooked meats previously coupon free. This would secure a large part of the 40,000 tons of meat which Australia must save this year in order to meet her commitments. Official estimates set Australia’s meat production for 1945 at about 960.000 tons, compared with more than 1,000,000 tons in 1944. In the meantime the drought conditions give no sign of abating. The Federal capital territory in 1944 had the driest year in its 24 years’ history, the rainfall being about one-third below normal. The formerly rich Riverina district of South-west New South Wales had its driest year since 1860. . . Australia’s food position will bo discussed at a meeting of the Federal Agricultural Council this month. In the meantime considerable criticism has been made of the Government's handling of the problem. “The Government’s bungling of rural problems has been largely responsible for the decrease in Australia’s agricultural output,” said the Country Party leader, Mr A, W. Fadden. 11 When the Japanese entered the war and it became evident that increasing demands would be made on Australia to supply essential foodstuffs, the Curtin Government did not shape its policy to meet the war and civilian requirements. The toal area under crop has declined from' more than 20,000.000 acres in 1941-42 to less than 16,000,000 acres in 1943-44.”

“The deplorable food situation existing to-day is not so much the fault of the drought as of the Government,” said the secretary of the Farmers and Settlers' Association, Mr W. Cambridge. “There is a second drought in Government ability and initiative in handling the position.”