INCREASED OUTPUT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 118, 21 May 1932, Page 8 (Supplement)

INCREASED OUTPUT

; DRASTIC MEASURES URGED FARM ECONOMIST’S VIEWS. The production of’ more stock food <u an improved quality, combined with breeding policy which will ensure th.-.t replacement stock is type capable of raising general herd averages is an aspect of New Zealand dairying to • which Mr. E. J. Fawcett, farm econo m- ; ist, attaches great importance accord • ing to his survey in the Journal of I Agriculture of the factors which intlu once the level of production per acre. Increased production per unit of the area farmed, and consequently the total butter fat output of the country, he says, assumes a degree of importance under existing conditions which warrants drastic measures to ensure that the greatest possible benefits shad be derived by the farmer, ami that the trading power of the State is enhanced to the extent it has a right io expect from the farms of the Dominion. ‘‘The. total volume nf butter-fat pro dueed in the (Dominion during the sea son 1930 31 slightly exceeded .322,000 0001 b..” Air. Fawcett remarks. “Of this total 211,500,0001 b. was represented by butter manufactured, and 75,500,0001 b. by cheese. Although cheese does not approach butter in the I amount of butter-fat. used in its manufacture, it is essentia] that, the volume lof cheese should be at least main ! rained. This becomes very apparent when it is remembered that New Zea land holds the key position in the import. cheese markets of Britain, being responsible, for approximately 60 per cent, of the total imports. Maintaining Cheese Position. “The position we occupy in the supply of cheese is relatively much stronger than for butter, and it is imperative that this, be maintained. The tendency is for surplus butter-fat from all exporting countries to be exported to Great Britain in the form of butter. The relative strength of the market for butter and cheese reflects this to some extent in so far as the price ratio be tween the two commodities is in favour of cheese and has been for some time past. The 15 per cent, of Britain’s imported cheese supply which is lerived from countries other than Canada ami New Zealand is mainly of foreign origin. It is difficult to foresee what, may happen to this supply under altered tariff conditions, but, whatever the movement may be. New Zealand should gain if she is in a position to make up any deficiency in supply occa sioned through Britain’s preference policy. The level of cheese consumption is comparatively stable in Great Britain, but it appears that consumption of butter can be stimulated by the supply of highgrade produce at attractive prices. “Unless the spending power of those classes of the British consumer on whom we depend is materially increased, the whole of our efforts should, therefore, be toward an increased supply of produce at a price which ensures maximum and rapid con sumption, rather than an effort, to raise prices under artificial conditions. Although the butter consumptive capac ity of Great Britain has proved extremely elastic, the rate of incrcas. registered of recent years cannot be expected to continue, particularly al higher prices. It seems that increased absorption must take place through dis placemen* of other products. If this is materially true, then the object of our farm organisation and management must be toward the production of but-ter-fat at a lower price for some years to come, which will necessitate reor ganisation of existing conditions to al low of a balance between production costs and realised prices. Facilitating Expansion. To facilitate such a position it is leecssary that immediate plans be made to produce more stock food of im proved quality. Coincident with the execution of such a plan, a breeding policy should be pursued which will ensure that replacement stock is of a type calculated to raise herd averages, and at the same time allow of the widest possible ratio between the percentage of food consumed to maintain body condition and that which is converted directly into milk, in other words, replacement stock should be kept strictly from cows producing above the herd average. .in additon, replacement stock should be the progeny of animals so selected that the average herd-test will be raised and a maximum density of cows carried per unit of area fanned. ‘‘To allow of such a policy being exploited to its fullest extent it is essential that all dairy cows in the Dornin ion (at least those supplying dairy fac lories) should be tested annually.' The degree of accuracy desired should be such that reasonably sound methods may be used in breeding and culling. Before such a scheme can be put full} into operation it is necessary that methods of testing be investigated I which will give a reasonable degree of I accuracy at a low cost. In nncipatio. of such a movement, and to facilitate the further study of the effect of stock types on unit-area production, it is imperative that all herd t oting re cords should include milk yields and tost data, and that 'he total area of the farm and other land devoted to the dairy herd should be recorded. Question of Body Weight. i “To carry the. investigation to a fur it her stage it is necessary that research j bo conduct d *o determine the relationI ship of body weight to food cot su » |tion, milk yield, and average milk-test. I This le cnn h would include measure meats of static physical features with the object ot arriving at a method <>l determining body weight through one or two static conversion factors. Once this point has been reached, potent i.’. i reduction under average farm condi lions could be assessed with a reasonable degree of accuracy by a ven limited number of testing periods. “In utilising any such data lor the culling and replacement programme due regard would be given to the correlation of body weight to carrying cap acity. It is apparent nt the present time that light, young heifers may be culled on butterfat records in favour of heavier animals, whereas it prodiw tion per unit of body weight v. .- taken into consideration the *1 would be reversed.”