FODDER SHORTAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25851, 23 May 1945, Page 3

FODDER SHORTAGE

POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES HEAVY SHEEP LOSSES (OC) SYDNEY, May 8. The irony of the drought in New South Wales is that west of the Great Dividing Range, which runs parallel to the coast, very little ram has fallen, while east of the divide some districts have had too much rain. This week, Mr W. F. Sheahan, member for Y&ss, in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, sought every possible Government avenue to get fodder to his electorate, which is on the western slopes and parched by drought. Mr J. W. Seifert, member for the Monare electorate adjoining, and directly east of Yass across the range, asked the Works Minister, Mr J J Cahill, for finanoial help to repair roads and bridges. In 24 hours, 20 inches of rain .had fallen, causing £14,000 damage. The district is embarrassingly supplied with pastures. As a result of the acute fodder shortage in New South Wales the State Government has arranged to truck dairy cattle from the drought-stricken Riverina to mid-western grass paddocks. Fleets of army trucks are moving fodder to Western Australian pons for shipment to eastern States. The Federal Government has announced extra drought relief to dairy farmers by a temporary increase in the present subsidy. . The Victorian Minister for Agriculture (Mr Martin) said that Australia might lose about 31,000,000 of its 123,000,000 sheep because of fodder shortage. Losses of cattle were expected to reach 2,500,000 of the 14,000,000 cattle in Australia at the beginning of the drought. Sir William Angliss, M.L.C., said in Melbourne that the fat stock shortage was the worst Australia had ever experienced. He said that civilians would soon have no alternative but to use frozen meat from cold stores 9r Queensland chilled meat. If good rain fell soon there should be some improvement in meat supplies before the end of the year. Poultry farmers are in a bad position. Curtailment of grains, bran, and pollard is forcing them to halve their flocks. By the end of the year eggs Will be practically unprocurable. Melbourne racing clubs have decided to reduce the number of racehorses in training from 1000 to 350. In Sydney the Australian Jockey Club is leaving the matter to individual trainers with a promise to help them where posible.