LABOUR’S PLACE ON THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 14

LABOUR’S PLACE ON THE FARM

Need for Efficient Utilization PLANNING WORK AHEAD Probably there is no other problem that is giving the farmers more concern than that of labour on the farms. In this connection an article by Mr R. P. Connell, of the Fields Division, Palmerston North, published in the Journal of Agriculture, is worth studying:— Of prime importance is the share of farm returns available for the payment of the labour of the farmer and his employees, including possibly members of his family, he writes. The proportion of the farm returns available for the payment of labour is determined to a large extent by the efficiency of the labour itself. Observation and investigation have shown that some of the matters which contribute towards the efficient use of labour and which well may be given attention at this season are:— 1. The work should be planned in advance. 2. There is a most suitable time for doing such work, and such work should be done on time. Most farm work can be done most quickly, most cheaply, and most effectively if it is done at the right time. The preparation of the land for seed-growing and the control of weeds are striking instances.

3. Heavy crop yields are commonly associated with high labour returns. This may be realised readily by comparing the net returns from a 10-ton an acre and a 5-ton an acre crop of potatoes—such a comparison illustrates the general position. 4. Heavy production of livestock is commonly associated with high labour returns. As a rule the cow producing 3601 b. of butterfat does not call for twice as much outlay in land, labour, etc., as does the cow producing 1801 b. of butterfat, and similarly the requirements of the sow producing fourteen pigs in a year are not twice as great.as those of the sow producing seven pigs a year—the latter is approximately the average figure.

5. Labour-saving equipment should be employed. Apart from the purchase of labour-saving machinery, this may call for the construction of suitably located ensilage trenches or pits. It may also call for alteration in pig-keeping lay-outs, etc. 6. The fields should be arranged so as to make possible the best use of crops and of machinery. To achieve this result with pastures, further subdivision often is advisable.

Full Employment. 7. The farm business should be large enough to keep the available supply of labour fully and efficiently employed. Proper attention to this matter often would lead to increased arable cropping on both sheep farms and dairy farms dominantly dependent upon grassland. Likewise, on many dairy farms it would lead to increased attention to pigkeeping , especially in conjunction with increased arable cropping. No attempt has been made to arrange the above seven matters affecting labour economy in the order of their importance, which varies from farm to farm; but the first and the seventh are probably of the greatest general importance, and this primarily because of the wide lack of attention to them.

Planning of farm work is a task of major importance, and it has been well established by experience that the greatest rewards in farming have gone to those whose operations are best planned. A good deal of useful planning may fittingly be carried out at this stage—e.g. the preparatory work in the provision of reserves of feed for use in periods of scant growth of pastures. In this connection, of primary importance is the fact that often the provision of feed is based on the requirements of the class of stock of major importance while the needs of stock of less, but nevertheless considerable importance, are overlooked. For instance, on North Island dairy farms the cropping often seems not to take into account the needs of pigs and of poultry, and similarly on South Island mixed farms on which grain crops and sheep are dominant, the needs of small dairy herds and of pigs are ignored; this, in both islands, with considerable detriment to nett returns. This introduces consideration of the seventh matter mentioned above, the advisability of keeping labour fully and effectively employed. An important matter in labour utilization is the avoidance as far as possible of idle periods at one stage, and of overcrowding periods at another stage, In this connection it should be remembered the opportunity for improvement of farm income is often greater through changes in enterprise combinations than through improved methods within single enterprises. Daiiying often strikingly illustrates this. It may be possible by pasture improvement, top-dressing, etc., to raise the carrying-capacity to an extent which means too much for, let us say, two full-time workers, but not enough work for three full-time workers. In such cases an advantageous procedure often is to give such additional attention to pig keeping and special cropping as fully justifies the employment of three full-time workers. The special cropping is likely to react advantageously on the butterfat production as well as on the pig keeping. The total result is a better all-round economic position; although the increase in butterfat production and the pig keeping as separate enterprises may not be economic, as an enterprise combination they are distinctly attractive.