AGRICULTURAL YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1935, Page 16

AGRICULTURAL YEAR

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES EWE FLOCKS SHOW INCREASE. RISE IN AVERAGE BUTTER-FAT. SURVEY BY DR. C. J. REAKES. Climatic conditions during 1934 have not been conducive to maximum output of grassland or arable farming products. This statement is made by the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, Dr. C. J. Reakes, in a review of the primary industries prepared for The Dominion. The late summer and autumn of the 1933-34 season was dry, and this resulted in a falling-off in dairy production and lower yields from arable crops. These adverse conditions, he said, had persisted during the spring, and were now being reflected particularly in milk products. Dr. Reakes said that after some years of extreme depression, the sheep industry had made a remarkable recovery during the 1933-34 season. This recovery was the result of keen competition for wool and a buoyant meat market in Great Britain. The opening of the present wool season has not been so bright, and although prices had not receded to the 1931-33 level, the drop, if continued, would result in some millions of pounds less being received for wool in New Zealand than in 1933-34. Fortunately, meat prices continued at a payable level, and the diversification of sheep farm products should enable the industry to be maintained with a fair degree of prosperity. The decline in sheep numbers, which was a feature accompanying the price depression, had now been arrested, and a period of recoupment had set in. This was illustrated by, the fact that the total number of sheep enumerated as at April 30, 1934, was 28,649,038, compared with 27,755,966 in 1933. Thus a recovery of almost one million sheep had taken place in one year. The recovery was of'greater importance when it was realised that ewe flocks were again being gradually built up, the figure as at April 30, 1934, being 17,571,426, compared with 17,209,697 in 1933 and 17,063,060 in 1932. ( HIGH LAMBING PERCENTAGE. This movement, with an accompanying high lambing percentage estimated at 89.24 per cent, for 1934, must be regarded as satisfactory. The lambing percentage quoted above would give a total of 15,680,000 lambs, compared with 15,457,302 the previous season. Coincident with an improved lambing position, slaughtering of sheep and lambs for export had shown a decline during the past two seasons. The figures for the season’s killing (12 months ended September 30) compared with a similar period in 1933 (in parentheses) were: Mutton, 1,828,909 (2,010,159); lamb, 8,751,677 (8,794,906); total, 10,580,586 (10,805,065). The total declared export values of sheep products for the 11 months ending November 30, 1929 to 1934, inclusive, were as follows:—

Wool, lamb and mutton totals: ? £ 1929 22,917,426 1930 16,549,497 1931 12,582,818 1932 12,534.281 1%33 13,952,H2 1934 21,281,341 In addition to the above, the export values of principal items of by-products of the sheep industry were of importance and indicated a healthy tone in such trade. The values for elevenmonth periods ended November 30, 192934, inclusive, were:—Casings, £615,709, £736,643, £379,456, £260,654, £372,539, £599,439. Wooled sheepskins: £340,600, £291,135, £151,256, £125,745, £375,773, £497,789. Pelts: £1,408,343, £1,159,484, £610,470, £532,311, £595,183, £715,480. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. Discussing the dairy industry. Dr. Reakes said the rapid increase in the milking herd of the Dominion had been an outstanding feature of the period of price depression. “This movement, he added, “has added approximately 100,000 cows to the milking herd each season. The number of replacement heifers will ensure that the milking herd for the current season is at least 60,000 in advance of 1933-1934. “The number of cows milked last season was mainly responsible for an increased output of butter-fat, although the per cow average also showed an improved position despite a poor autumn production. The total butter-fat produced for the 1933-34 season was 427,000,000 pounds compared with 397,000,000 pounds the previous season, while the per cow average rose from 215 pounds to over 220 pounds. Had the season finished off with favourable weather conditions, the increase in per cow, and in total production, would have been much greater. , “The present season has opened witn a tolling off in total output, and should adverse climatic conditions persist, the drop in total output may easily account for a reduction of some thousands of tons of export. butter. Unfortunately, also, topdressing has not been maintained in ratio with the increase in cows, and a poor growing season will tend to show up any depletion of fertility. DAIRY PRODUCE EXPORTS. The export values of dairy produce for the eleven months ending November 30, 1929-34, inclusive, were: £17,360,441, £16,534,336, £13,108,611, £13,585,348, £14,511,168 and £13,536,642 respectively. Thus the total national income from dairy produce had not varied materially, bu the net returns to farmers had been affected, due to the increased number of milking herds and to the greater gross cost of producing a larger volume of butter-fat. . , Depressed dairy produce prices had forced farmers to a realisation of the value of pigs. As a result the numbers of breeding sows on farms had risen rapidly, the figures as at January 3 ■ 1934, being 98,299, compared with 87,b»b in 1933 and 75.409 in 1932. These increases in breeding sows were reflected in the export value of pig P the position for the eleven months ended November 30, 1930-1934, inclusive, being: £460,899, £269,506, £245,122, £555,512 and £1.015,625 respectively. Since January last the number of breeding sows had still further increased, hence pork and bacon pigs available for export would reach a new high level. The future of the industry depended largely upon the United Kingdom mar-

ket. It was apparent, however, that pig products from dairy farms were worth at least one penny per pound on all butter-fat produced, and dairy-farmers could not afford to lose this advantage, and in this connection the baconer quota arranged with the United Kingdom for 1935 had been on a sufficiently liberal scale to augur well for an expansion in production of this class of carcase. “It is fully recognised by dairy-farm-ers and by the Government,” Dr. Reakes continued, “that soil fertility and production are closely linked up with the use of artificial fertilisers. Thus everything possible has been done to encourage their use, but the economic position of farmers has been such that the quantity used has not kept pace with the increase in dairy cows, but nevertheless the tonnage has been remarkably well maintained. The figures for artificial fertilisers delivered for the period JanuaryNovember, 1929-34, are as follow: 408,000 tons, 360,000 tons, 299,000 tons, 380,000 tons, 301,000 tons, and 351,000 tons respectively.” The board of administration set up under the Poultry Runs Registration Bill had been engaged in an attempt to organise the industry during the year, and it was hoped that their efforts would gradually improve the position of egg producers. Some 11,522 cases of eggs had been exported < during 1934, compared with 12,106 cases in 1933. APPLES AND PEARS. During the 1934 export season some 1,448,809 cases of apples and 126,103 cases of pears were exported compared with £1,303,831 cases of apples and 126,682 cases of pears in 1933. The marketing of fruit presented some difficulties, particularly as Great Britain was becoming overburdened with apples during the period of arrival of Southern Hemisphere produce, while the Continental market was at present uncertain. Nevertheless the prices realised during the past year were well above those of 1933, Last season’s production of honey was slightly below normal, but the quality was well up to standard. In early months of the present year climatic conditions were unfavourable, this being mainly responsible for the falling off in production. Since the present productive season opened in the spring the conditions had been good, and the outlook for a good season’s crop was so far satisfactory. During the year prices obtained showed an improvement over those in 1933. '■ The work of certifying pedigree grass seed had become a stabilised branch of the department’s activities. In 1934 some 13,236 acres of perennial ryegrass were under certification, in addition to small areas of other types of seed. The area under observation this season was approximately the same as last year. The total area of/wheat threshed last season was 286,271 acres, giving an average per acre yield of 36.54 bushels per acre in 1932-33. The area to be threshed this season was estimated at 228,600 acres. The total area under oats for chaff and threshing in 1933-34 was 296,498 acres, compared with 375,500 acres the previous season. The poorer production season was reflected in the per acre yield of 41.39 bushels, compared with 44.1 bushels in 1932-33. The total estimated area for all oats for the present season was 364,729 acres.

Barley occupied an area of 29,607 acres in 1933-34 and was estimated at 22,600 acres this season. The area devoted to potatoes was subject to but minor fluctuations from season to season. For 1933-34 an area of 25,028 acres was grown giving an average yield of 5.24 tons compared with 24,606 acres and an average yield of 5.25 tons in 1932-33. The estimated area for the current season was 20,300 acres.

Wool £ Lamb £ Mutton £ 1929 .< ... 14,544,141 6,625,142 1,748,143 1930 .. .... 7,365,374 6,908,727 2,275,396 1931 .. .... 5,194,162 6,059,9,76 1,328,680 1932 .. ... 5,298,535 5,794,269 1,441,477 1933 .. ... 6,659,809 6,066,781 1,265,522 1934 .. ... 12,278,338 7,460,912 1,542,091