WAR-TIME FOOD PRODUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26243, 29 August 1946, Page 2

WAR-TIME FOOD PRODUCTION

Sir,— Having read with interest the ■> office to Farm series and Countryman's " letter on the last instalment of Tame I agree with aU ” Countryman ' said While his letter covered most of the difficulties farmers bad to contend with, there are points I think should be added to give a fuller picture when comparing farming here and in England during the war. The production per man unit on the land in this country is the highest of any in the world, with a considerable margin to the next highest This was the case even before the war- Just prior to the war farm pioduction in England was at a low ebb; therefore, it was easier for them to increase it by 100 per cent., compared to our 10 per cent which N. R. H. criticises. England’s farmers had thousands of tractors produced for the job, to replace the horses most of them used previously. Here it was only possible to buy a tractor on a guarantee to do 2000 hours in a season, which meant one man §, full time for the season allowing for normal hold-ups If there had been enough tractors for farmers who could guarantee 500 hours per season it would have meant a larger increase on th lf e N f3 R mS H. did not want to disparage the farmer, as he said, why side-track from his picture of country life through citv eyes to his inexperienced opinions on farm production, especially as his story has as yet only covered the marking time” period of a farmers year, and not the busy times when team or tractor is working to the limit, ewe flocks are being attended from dayligt to dark (wet or drv weather), when pastures and growiri? crops are being watched anxiously, not by the man who draws the wages, but by the man who depends on the result for his living, and the period when crops are maturing or cut when floods or excessive wet could wipe out the season's effort, as often happened during this war. , . , . , _ Farmers have no reason to blush for doing their best compared with those whose hours of work over 40 were sweetened by overtime. May N R H. carry his story through these periods to its conclusion and reap a reward in experience to carry him through the trials awaiting him on the farm of his choice if that is his ambition. Finally, why compare a job at home with a job of blood and death overseas? No fair-minded person would do it.—l am, etc., August 27. Son of the Soil.