ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 21073, 3 May 1930, Page 7

ON THE LAND

REVIEW OF THE WEEK

DAIRY PRODUCTION DECLINING HEAVY OUTPUT FOR SEASON During the week the pastures have received a definite check by frosts and cold conditions. There is a prospect that winter crops will provide ample feed during the coming months, for although rape crops were disappointing the majority of the turnip crops appear to be growing better than was at first expected. The bulk of the harvesting work in Southland has now been completed for the season. Most farmers have now threshed their grain and in nearly every instance the yield has been above expectations. The quality of the grain this season is very good, many of the samples being fit for milling and a large percentage will undoubtedly pass A "rrade. The areas sown, however, have been small. It is very' pleasing that there should be not only a good yield, but also a very satisfactory price. Most of the movement in store sheep and breeding ewes has now ceased, all the ewes offering having been absorbed. Prices for fat ewes and wethers have fallen considerably and this null probably’ result in those farmers who have the necessary feed holding over their wethers until the spring in the hope that a better price will be ruling then.

There has been a remarkably thorough clearing out of old ewes this season and farmers are to be commended on their policy of fattening the old ewes and buying in y’ounger stock, which will mean that the death rate in ewes will be considerably lessened and the number of lambs reared during the coming season will be correspondingly' increased. The digging of the main potato crop is now well under way’ and some very good crops have been reported. In some of the crops there has been a very high percentage of disease, which will detrimentally affect the sale of the tubers or at least reduce the quantity' that it will be possible to market. There is only a very poor demand at present and reports to hand from Canterbury confirm this. It is said to be likely that prices to farmers for good quality' lines will not exceed £4, but this figure should show a fairly good margin of profit where the yield is good and the percentage of disease comparatively small. A large number of farmers who are harvesting brown top have taken advantage of the opportunity offered by the Department of Agriculture to have their fields certified in order that they’ may’ market their seed under the special tag of certification issued by’ the Department. Unfortunately, however, the chief market for New Zealand grown brown top is now practically’ closed owing to the heavy' embargo placed against the seed in the United States, where the great bulk of the seed has been marketed during the last few years. Ihe import duty of approximately 1/8 per lb makes the price within the States prohibitive and in the meantime the local value of the seed has dropped to about half or less its usual price. There Is not a great deal of movement in the farm property market at present, but a good many small farnjs have been changing hands recently where the ingoing is easy. The biggest factor against farm selling at the present time is the difficulty' of making suitable financial arrangements, many potential buyers being very limited in capital. Farming, like any other business requires a good deal of capital to conduct and to take up a farm with finance too limited is only to invite failure. It is reported from North Otago that a drop of Id per lb has been announced in the prices of fat ewes and wethers, making the killing prices for top grades this week 2Jd and 4Jd respectively. It is reported that a further drop of id per lb for lambs, ewes and wethers will operate from Monday, making the prices for top grades: Lambs 7d, ewes 2gd, wethers 4jd.

Freezing industry. Reporting on the freezing industry, Mr A. Derbie, manager of the Southland Frozen Meat and Produce Export Company, states: “Our Mataura and Makarewa works are very busy and must continue so for soipe time to cope with the large drafts yet to be handled. From the point of view of numbers, this season promises to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in the history of the company. To date, 303,000 sheep and lambs have been slaughtered, and this represents an increase of approximately 79,000 compared with the corresponding period of last year. Present indications are that killing operations will extend well into July, but in the meantime many farmers*are somewhat concerpets about the feed question and are naturally anxious to get away as many as possible. The lonic has just completed a shipment of 15,700 carcases of mutton and lamb and 1100 cases of rabbits. The next vessel to load will be the Tairoa, due about Tuesday next, to be followed by the Coptic and Huntingdon, both these vessels being due about April 19.”

Dairying. During the last few weeks there has been a rapid decline in the intakes at the various dairy factories in Southland and many people connected with the industry consider that the falling off has been more rapid than usual. Production for the season, however, continues to be well ahead of the previous record season, although compared with last season, the quantity of cheese received into the Bluff Cool Stores during April was in the vicinity of 1500 crates fewer than the quantity sent forward during April, 1928. Present indications are that last year's production will be maintained with perhaps a slight margin in favour of the current season.

An extraordinary situation has arisen in regard to the amount of butter and cheese held at the Bluff Cool Stores, and for a short period at the end of the month just closed the stores were full and no further stocks could be taken in. Owing to greatly decreased imports into New Zealand, the number of vessels visiting the Dominion has been fewer with the result that the Dairy Control Board has had considerable difficulty in securing space to convey the products to the London market. On Wednesday, the last day of April, there were 42,618 crates of cheese and 8,717 boxes of butter in the Bluff Cool Stores. This represents approximately one-third of the production of the season to date. To meet the situation, the board has been compelled to have three steamers sent to New Zealand in ballast to carry the dairy produce back to Great Britain. The position at Bluff is now relieved on account of the fact that two steamers loaded dairy produce this week. These are the lonic, which has taken 8,000 crates of cheese and 1,000 boxes of butter, and the Kia Ora, which has 5,000 crates of cheese. This will enable fresh stocks to be taken into store.

The dairy produce market at Home appears to be improving, but values are not rising very considerably at the present time. Perhaps, further improvement will have taken place by the time the latter part of the Southland consignment reaches the market.

The figures, supplied by the secretary, of the quantities of cheese and butter received into store are as follows, comparative figures for the last two seasons being also given: —Cheese.—■

September 1927-28 1928-9. 1929-30. 100 ■ October . . . . 6,354 7,513 18,880 8,293 November . . . 19,160 20,369 December . . . 24,047 24,482 24,502 January . . . . 24,345 27,205 28,719 February . . . 21.123 21,559 25,319 March . . . . 18,276 19,847 20,789 April . . . . . 13,103 17,967 15,741 Totals , , 126,408 137,553 143,722

—Butter. — 1927-28. 1928-9. 1929-30. September . . . October . . . « 752 1.4S4 16 637 129 1,346 November .... 5,081 2,483 2,930 December .... 6,056 3.245 4,292 January .... 5,940 4,011 4.057 February .... 4,114 2,573 3.005 March 1,944 1.427 2.227 April ...... 1,191 1,077 891 Totals , . 26,562 16,469 1%87Z