THE YIELD FROM FARMING

Taranaki Daily News, 11 July 1930, Page 16

THE YIELD FROM FARMING

RATIONALISATION ADVOCATED. MASS MECHANICAL PRODUCTION. “There is little doubt that at present farming in New Zealand and elsewhere does not in general yield five per cent, on capital,” said Dr. E. Marsden, Director of Scientific and Industrial Research, speaking on industrial rationalisation to the Wellington Rotary Club. “It would be an interesting calculation to find whether mass mechanised production on really scientific principles on a big enough scale to employ the best soil chemists, plant and animal geneticists and disease specialists would be a profitable undertaking. I venture to think that it would be. “However, fanning is by its nature such a social organisation by families that such methods seeni abhorrent. We . must look, therefore, to some inerhod of rationalisation which will preserve the existing social system, and at the same time ensure that fanning shall be an economic undertaking and support a high standard of Jiving. The way out seems tb'dehiand an intelligent application of the co-operative system of production, aided by the best technical and scientific services that theindustry can afford. “We" cannot talk about the farmer and agriculture as a single unit. In such a diversified country differences in type, activity and situation are numerous and extreme —so much so that a properly-specialised account of the several' branches of primary industry involves a diversity of detail quite. unmanageable at the moment. I shall content myself with referring to the broad some, major factors in rational production. “Leaving aside for a moment the greatest factor in primary . production, the intelligence, skill and. industry of the producers,” Dr. Marsden continued, “the problem could be considered from two points of approach.” The first, he said, was what we could produce efficiently, and the second was what the world markets required. Primary production had to be placed on a reasonably broad basis, as had been put forward so ably in Mr. Hunt’s unemployment report, and the development of pig. fruit and seed, as well as other industries, might well bo large factors in the Dominion’s economic stability. Wool, dairy and meat had been paying propositions for years, but with the present stresses a need arose for exploring other neglected avenues of production. Both of the lines of approach he had mentioned needed to be kept in view at the same time. In the ease of some products —butter and fat lamb, for example —New Zealand had kept in faiily good touch 'with market requirements. But in certain others, such as wool, pelts, flax and kauri, lie doubted whetiier sufficient contact had been made between production and utilisation. In .wool, for example, the manufacturer’s stipulations as to the exact characteristics of t.ie raw materials with which he desired to work should be known precisely by the producer. The same sort of thing could be said of flax, skins and gums. Better liaison with the users or possible users of products was desirable. “Looking at our primary industries generally.” Dr. Marsden continued; “we can divide the rationalisation problem into a study of several stages. The first of these is" climate, which is New Zealand's greatest asset, and should be exploited to the full. It has a profound influence on agricultural production, and must be investigated thoroughly rrom every angle. t V “The whole basis or farming depends on soil characteristics, and this .makes up the second line of study. It is oji y recently that science has made practical headway in. study of the complicated conditions of the soil. During the past century, we in New Zealand have, been passing from an extensive to an intensive- use of the land, where greater demands are being made on each acre. Rational guidance on all land, areas is needed. , , , , , “With the acknowledgment vo what has. been done by the breed societies in cattle, sheep and pigs, in the absence ot standards of performance,.” said Dr. Marsden, “it must be realised that we have a long way to go along the road of utilising the new science of genetics m its application to breeding for production of desirable charcteristics of production, constitution and disease resistance.’'