The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1935. FARMING OUTLOOK.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12963, 30 May 1935, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1935. FARMING OUTLOOK.

An interesting review was tliat given by the president on Tuesday at the annual inter-provincial conference of the Farmers' Union in Palau erston North. He touched upon the conditions ruling in the Dominion during the last four years, remarking that the four chief obstacles to the recovery of the industry were still strongly rn evidence* namely the low price of produce, the high cost of production, taxation and complicated finance. The drought of last summer had not helped matters any though the exceptionally fine autumn had compensated somewhat. 'Then there had been the restriction on the export of bobby calves and boneless meat. Certainly wool prices rose sensationally in January of last year but this proved to be only a Hash in the pan until this season they were barely a half of the high figure of 1934. The spasmodic boom did more harm than good for it left buyers with a lot of dear wool to dispose of and manufacturers were so careful from then on that prices were even lower than would otherwise have been. The absence of German competition and a decreased demand from France and other continental countries all helped to keep the level low. One gratifying feature was the improved price obtainable for fat sheep and lambs though they had fallen during the last two months. By that time, however, rbe greater part of the fats had been sold. A matter of interest to the cattle farmer had been the success of the trial shipments of chilled beef from New Zealand to London and no doubt if the cattle men breed and fatten the right class it is apparent that the prospects will be good. A continued aim must be to lower still further the costs of production Last year a, tariff commission was set up by the Government and certain reductions were secured but these were not as great as were hope.! for. -All farmers can help to play their part by buying British goods in preference to those from foreign or other countries which do not buy from New Zealand. In other words the remedy, in large measure, is in the hands of the New Zealand farmer himself.