Production and Weather.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

Production and Weather.

The fact that the estimated average production per cow for the 1933-34 season exceeded the highest average production previously recorded may be attributed partly to the weather condi-' tions, which, although extremely variable, have in general been favourable for the production of butterfat; a welldistributed rainfall generally in the main districts compensated to a considerable extent for the smaller amount of topdressing carried out, remarks the Direc-tor-General of Agriculture in his report. The relatively satisfactory average herd production may also be attributed partly to better provision of reserves of feed for use in those periods when the supply of feed directly available from grassland is unsuited to or less than the current needs of' the stock—the increase in the area of grass and clover cut for hay and silage from 421,582 acres in 193132 to 517,469 acres in 1932-33 and substantial increases in the acreages of mangels and lucerne constitute evidence of this. Better farm-management in respect to other matters, such as improved pasture utilisation and previous effort towards herd improvement, was also almost certainly operative.