PROGRESS IN 10 YEARS

Southland Times, Issue 23408, 15 January 1938, Page 14

PROGRESS IN 10 YEARS

Southland’s Great Production

EXPORTS LAST YEAR WORTH £3,000,000

INCREASE OF 50 PER CENT. IN DECADE In 10 years the value of primary products of Southland exported from Bluff has increased by 50 per cent, to £3.116,052, according to a return supplied to the Southland County Council this week by Mr O. O. Mackley, of the Department of Agriculture. The return reveals a very satisfactory progress in the farming industry since 1926 and indicates that the primary producers of the province have greatly increased their efficiency for the area of occupied farming land in the province has increased only slightly during the period and the higher returns have resulted from the adoption of better farming methods. It is probable that the last 10 years show the greatest advance made in Southland since the export of primary products made farming the principal occupation in New Zealand. This period has seen the general adoption of top-dressing and a greater attention to pastoral farming with a consequent substantial increase in the numbers of sheep and cattle carried. The Southland Province, including the West Coast Sounds region, has a total area of 7,959,091 acres, of which 3,244,345 acres are occupied with 1,126,430 acres under cultivation. There are 3,988 sheep owners in the province, compared with 2,786 10 years ago, an increase of 1202. The number of sheep and lambs run in the province is 2,560,737 compared with 1,857,586, an increase of 703,151. KILLING CAPACITY OF WORKS The three freezing works had last year a total killing capacity of 10,000 sheep a day, according to the return, but extensions made since last season closed have brought this up practically to 15,000. The killings at these works for export in 1926 totalled 43,733 sheep and 326,708 lambs, a total of 370,708. This had increased last year to 108,198 sheep and 1,070,148 lambs, a total of 1,178,346, and an increase of 807,905 carcasses. This extraordinary increase is, of course, largely due to the elimination of Canterbury competition in the purchase of Southland fat lambs. Prior to 1929, a big percentage of Southland lamb and mutton was railed to Canterbury for killing and was exported through northern ports. In recent years, however, the Southland works have offered farmers a similar schedule rate to that paid by Canterbury exporters and the traffic in southern lambs to northern works has almost completely ended. It should be mentioned, however, that at the end of last season, one Canterbury exporting company found itself short of lambs and heavy purchases were made in Southland, at least 20,000 lambs being railed north and eliminated from the Southland z export total. A total of 6201 tons of wool valued at £546,123 was exported from Bluff in 1926 compared with 12,317 tons valued at £825,958 in 1936. It can be seen from these figures that while the quantity was almost doubled in 10 years, the value was only 50 per cent, higher indicating that a lower price was ruling in 1936 than 10 years before. It is also a fact that a considerable amount of Southland wool is regularly sent to Dunedin for sale in order to catch an earlier market and allowance should be made for this in computing the productivity of Southland.

LESS PROGRESS IN DAIRYING In the dairying industry less progress -has been made than in sheep farming. The number of dairy cows has increased by about 10 per cent., but the quantities of butter and cheese exported have dropped. This may be accounted for by an increased local consumption as in view of the good productive season in 1936 it does not appear likely that 10 per cent, more cows would produce five per cent, less produce. In 1926 there were 73,128 dairy cows in the province and in 1936 80,54 Q. The cheese exported from Bluff in 1926 amounted to 11,683 tons valued at £667,895 and in 1936 11,174 tons valued at £545,962; a decrease of 509 tons and £121,933, the price of cheese being very greatly depressed compared with 1926. The amount and value of butter dropped from 603 tons valued at £74,401 to 414 tons valued at £49,654; a decrease of 189 tons and £24,747. Milk products exported rose from 3072 tons valued at £29,437 to 4052 tons valued at £32,157; an increase of 980 tons and £2720. "in the field of cropping, the record is a retrogression as attention has been gradually turned from crops to pastoral farming. The acreage sown down in crops has dropped substantially. The amount of wheat grown his increased, but the growing of oats has fallen by about 15 per cent. The export trade in seeds has risen substantially and no less than £71,000 has been brought to the province by this trade. In 1926 68,371 acres were sown down in oats producing 1,365,044 bushels. Last year this had fallen to 57,241 acres producing 933,690 bushels; a decrease of 11,130 acres and 431,354 bushels. In the earlier year 2854 acres were sown down in wheal producing 99,556 bushels Last year 3823 acres were sown in this crop and returned 137,638 bushels; an increase of 969 acres and 38,082 bushels. Seeds exported from Bluff in 1926 amounted to 1513 tons valued at £40,319. Last year the figures were 1951 tons valued at £71,511; an increase of 438 tons and £31,192. Hemp exported from Bluff 10 years ago totalled 2680 tons valued at £58,926. Last year this had dropped to 1893 tons valued at £27,515; a decrease of 787 tons valued at £31,411. The price having dropped sharply, the drop in the value was greater than that of quantity.

VALUE OF BY-PRODUCTS By-products associated with the ineat freezing industry brought in substantial wealth to the province. Tallow totalling 1236 tons valued at £44,678 was exported in 1926. rising to 2200 tons valued at £47,579 Inst year; an increase of 964 tons and £2901. Hides and

skins exported 10 years ago amounted to 238 tons valued at £5llO compared with 337 tons valued at £22,988 last year; an increase of 99 tons and £17,878. Pelts exported rose from 335 tons to a value of £20,737 in 1926 to 1287 tons valued at £113,623; an increase of 952 tons and £92,886. This is directly attributable to the increased activity in the Southland freezing works. It is only in recent years that serious attention has been given to pig-raising in Southland and while the industry is still only relatively in its infancy it contributes to the wealth of the province. In 1926 there were 11,191 pigs in Southland. This has now risen to 16,722, an increase of 5531. There were no pigs exported in 1926, but last year 9132 were shipped. A total of 58,591 tons of produce, valued at £2,041,693 was exported from Bluff in 1926 and last year the figure had grown to 81,746 tons valued at £3,116,052. This is an increase of £1,074,359 in value and is a tribute to the industry of the farmers of the province.