AGRICULTURE IN INDIA

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1929, Page 15

AGRICULTURE IN INDIA

NEW' METHODS FOLLOWED. : * - STEADY PRODUCTION. To supervise, the agricultural activities in a territory of about 140,000 square miles, and with about 43,000,000 inhabitant’s, is’ the task of Mr. R. D. Anstead, C.1.E., Director of Agriculture in the Madrh.s Presidency, who arrived at Auckland by the Maunganui on a holiday visit. “Regarding the activities of my department, I think I may say that we are fairly progressive, and are keeping up with most of the important developments in agriculture,’’ Mr. Anstead eaid. “Of course, the population is tremendous. and we have to deal with an illiterate people. This does not make our work any easier. We cannot deliver booklets and pamphlets on agriculture and rest assured that the people who make their Jiving from the soil will follow our advice. We have to get out and show them how things are done. We are rapidly overcoming prejudice and the natives are realising that it is in their own interests to learn all we can teach them.” Rice was the principal crop of the Madras district, Mr. Anstead said. About 11,000,000 acres were under cultivation and there were also about 7,000,000 acres of cotton. In the hills there were extensive tea, rubber and coffee plantations, but’ these were conducted chiefly by English planters. It had been recognised that the only way to ensure steady production from the huge area was to have the land well irrigated and irrigation works were still proceeding. One scheme alone would cost about £10,000,000 before it was completed. Dams were placed over huge rivers and canals would run up to 100 miles into barren country, their waters bringing production and prosperity. The irrigation works in India were bigger than anywhere else in the world; bigger even than those in Egypt. However,- it was money well spent. Fresh land was being brought under cultivation annually and this was supremely necessary ( in a land,where the vagaries of climate might force a famine on teeming millions. “Work in India is far from easy,” Mr. Anstead said. “There are so many different peoples of different creeds that India is more like Europe than a separate country. This is what makes the political situation so involved.” Mr. Anstead is paying his first visit to New Zealand, and he is already very interested in the country. From here he will go to England to complete his holiday before returning to India.