New Battle For Britain

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 January 1948, Page 5

New Battle For Britain

FARMERS ON THE JOB (By Airmail. From Alan Mitchell) (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) London, Jan. 20 Though spring is some distance away, there is already a restlessness abroad in the countryside of Great Britain. It is not to be found in the dun ploughed fields, fringed with gaunt black skeletons o£ trees and naked hedgerows so much as in the farmhouses, tor there the farmers are preparing for another type of battle for Britain. Less dramatic than the famous cattle fought in the air nearly eight years ago, it is nevertheless of direct impertance to every family in this country. If it succeeds, and it will be a four-year battle, it will add £100,000,000 to the value of the net agricultural production by 1952. It will improve the antional diet. It will save dollars. British farmers, who last year produced 40 per cent, of the country's food, are being asked to improve on their wartime effort. In the peak years of the war they grew 70 per cent, in terms of calories. Now they are asked to top that up to 85 per cent, in four years' time. It will call for 5 gigantic effort. TO GROW MORE It means that, compared with prewar production, they will be asked to grow by 1951 60 per cent more wheat, 179 per cent, more barley, 56 per cent more oats, 31 per cent, more sugar beet, 29 per cent, more potatoes, and provide 23 per cent, more milk, 10 per cent, more beef and veal, and 52 per cent, more eggs. They are also asked to grow 400,000 acres of linseed for cattle cake and industrial oil. To do this it is recognised that there will need to be two phases: a short term plan to meet the immediate need for bread grains and roots; and a longer term plan to step up meat, milk and egg production. Beginning the short term plan this year, farmers have been given four priority crops. They have been asked to grow 2,500,000 acres of wheat, 1.423,000 acres of potatoes, 420,000 acres of sugar beet, and, in England and Wales, 154,865 acres of linseed. These figures represent increases over last year of more than 250,000 extra acres of wheat, qver 74,000 additional acres of potatoes, a slight increase In sugar beet, and a trebled linseed crop. There are many difficulties lacing the farmers in their attempt to reacn these targets, but it has been stated by Mr. Tom Williams, Minister of Agriculture, that if those for wheat, potatoes and sugar beet can be achieved, or exceeded, then the foundations of the expanded British agriculture will have been laid. Already the indications are that the sugar beet figure is reasonably well assured. If spring sowings of wneat are successful, and there are sufficient supplies of seed potatoes in a potatohungry land, then the targets for these crops may also be eclipsed. Full linseed production, however, is already written off. If the wheat crop is normal it will provide more than a quarter of Britains' total consumption of bread and flour. An average crop of potatoes will wipe out rationing for next winter. If the sugar beet target is reached foreign exchange to the value of some 600,000 tons of sugar will be saved. SHORTAGE OF LABOUR One of the biggest difficulties confronting farmers during the coming year will be the shortage of farm labour. Since the war German prisoners working on the land have been a familiar sight throughout the country. The majority of them, however, are now being repatriated and by the autumn all but 12,000, who have decided to stay on as civilians, will be back in Germany. Mr. William is hoping that 20,000 British workers can be recruited, and that 53,000 foreign workers will come to Britain. Even so, this will provide a smaller labour force for farming during the coming year than there was in 1947. It is possible, of course, that people in Britain will be directed to work on the land. Some-Labour quarters are pressing Mr. Williams to use this method, but judging by his recent broadcast he has not yet made up his mind whether it will be necessary to issue directions.

It may be that, with the aid of the Womens’ Land Army and an increase in voluntary workers from 120,000 last year to 200,000 this year, he will be able to avoid sending men and women to the country. Lack of houses for farm workers is another difficulty, while shortage of machinery and the delay in getting deliveries and spares is holding back work on many farms. Shortage of ploughshares, on which wear and tear was said to he ten times higher than normal due to last year's dry summer, held back autumn ploughing in many districts. Despite these and many other problems. there is a general air of optimism blowing rounrt the country districts and a conviction that the farmers can, and will, make a successful beginning to their new battle during the coming year.