MEW ZEALAND WHEAT LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1930, Page 12

MEW ZEALAND WHEAT LANDS.

RAINFALL DEFICIENCY PREVENTS CONVERSION TO DAIRYING’.

The argument has been frequently put forward that if New Zealand's wheat industry was wiped out by removing the wheat duties, our wheat farmers could turn to dairying, < The vast majority of our wheat growers are absolutely barred from dairying for the simple reason that their lands have a totally inadequate rainfall for this purpose. Figures supplied by the Government Meteorological Observatory and published in the New Zealand Gazette No. ,55, July 31, 1930, indicate this deficiency in rainfall very plainly. Taking Auckland, Hamilton. Stratford, Havrera, New Plymouth and Palmerston North as representing dairying districts, the total 1929 rainfall in these six towns was 322.26 inches. The bulk of New Zealand’s wheat is grown in Canterbury in the vicinity of Waikari, Rangiora. Christchurch, Ashburton, Tiniaru and Oamaru. The 1929 rainfall in these sixtowns was only 156.61 inches, less than half the rainfall of the six towns In dairying districts.

The difference is even greater because most of the North Island towns referred to have adjacent hill country where the rainfall is even higher than in the towns proper for which figures are quoted. For instance, New Plymouth proper had a rainfall of 58.39 inches, but at Mangorei, only nine miles away, the rainfall was 149.62 inches, while Oamaru, which is in the wheat-growing area, recorded only 27.64 inches. Canterbury is largely flat, and the rainfalls in the towns proper are fairly indicative of the rainfalls for the surrounding country.

With lees than half the rainfall enjoyed by the dairying districts, the wheat-growing is left with sheep farming as the only alternative. If, however, our wheat farms were turned, into sheep 'runs, the Dominion would suffer severely in at least two directions. In the first place, the Dominion’s annual wheat crop is worth approximately £2,500,000 but approximately £1,000,000 only would he returned if the present wheat areas were converted to sheep farming. On top of this loss there would be the necessity of sending £2,500,000 annually out of the country to purchase wheat with no prospect of goods being taken in exchange. Secondly, considerably less labour is required on sheep farms than on wheat farms. Without wheat-growing flour mill employees would have to be discharged, as flour would be imported instead <3f wheat, as past experience has shown. There would be unemployment not only for those engaged on farms and iu mills, but also for those employed on threshing and hauling plants, in twine works, in making agricultural implements, in grain stores and offices and in the transport services. The loss of wages, according to the report of the Wheat Industry Committee appointed by the Government, would amount to over £BOO,OOO per annum. This figure does not include loss of wages in industries indirectly affected. It is. obvious, therefore, that our wheat industry must be retained, for in addition to climatic considerations there is its vastly important economic value to the Dominion. 20.