ENGLISH FARMING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18659, 30 August 1930, Page 13

ENGLISH FARMING

WEALTH FROM STOCK. Sir William S. Haldane broadcast an address, says the British Agricultural Journal recently, in which he pointed out that the prosperity of farming in England depended, for marketaole produce, to a much greater degree upon stock than upon crops. The revised census of farm production shows that in 1927-28 the value of the produce sold off farms in Great Britain as live stock or its products was £183,700,000, compared with only £57,800,000 lor all the farm crops put together. The decrease of tillage leads Sir William to believe that live stock returns are now probably at least four times those from farm crops. Again, live stock must be regarded as mechanism for converting crops into marketable form and money, because it is increasingly difficult to sell the crops direct at a profit. The kind of crops grown on almost any farm will therefore depend mainly on what live stock will consume them.

Sir William is of opinion that because corn is carried cheapest of all forms of foodstuffs, and this country is accessible by cheap sea transport, it is immutably established that our breadstuffs shall mainly be supplied from abroad, and the practice of feeding home-grown cereals on the farm is the best and most profitable way of disposing of them. He dealt mainly with cattle and beef production, and did not neglect to consider the competition of chilled beef from overseas, but he feels that this competition can be met by the production of beef of high quality. The home market demands quality in almost every product, and is prepared to pay for it, and, apart from initial cost, production and finish of well-bred cattle and sheep is relatively cheaper than in the case of lower quality animals. There are still far too many scrub bulls used, although there are plenty of good type bulls to be had at moderate cost. Sir William therefore considers that we should follow the example of Ireland in discarding the scrub bull, when we should be rewarded by higher prices such as that country is now obtaining for good quality store cattle.

He ended his talk on a hopeful note by saying that, to enable British agriculture once more to pay its way, the production of cattle of good beef type is a prime necessity, as the efficient machinery for "converting our main crops into the product of best value. Of like necessity is the growing of these crops, so that meat production, summer and winter, may be spread evenly throughout the year in an economic manner.