BIGGER OUTPUT

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20917, 23 September 1939, Page 8

BIGGER OUTPUT

DAIRY INDUSTRY MINISTER’S APPEAL REAR ADDITIONAL CALVES (By Telerrsß*.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Friday The Minuter of Agriculture, th* Hon. W. Lee Martin, issues a strong appeal to primary producers to stimulate production iu order to provide supplies of butter and cheese lor the Mother Country during wartime. Foreign foodstuffs, he says, will be largely curtailed, and Empire countries will be called upon to make up the deficiency. “If wo are to fulfil our obligations to the Empire we must make every effort to increase the output of dairy produce, meat and wooi," the Minister said today. "With one aotabis exeption the livestock position is excellent. We have more breeding ewes and beef breeding cows than ever before and, provided feed supplies are maintained, w r e can look to increased exports of mutton and beef products. But when it comes to dairy cows tbs position is not satisfaotery and in the interests of the nation it is the duty, of all to rectify it, 100,000 Fewer Oows "For the past three years our milking herds have declined and this season we are milking 100,000 fewer cows than in 1936. This has been due to tbe number of heifers entering the herds being fewer than the number of cows culled, and with Great Britain calling upon the New Zealand farmers to play their part as suppliers of essential food commodities it is oux; first duty to reverse this position. "Under present conditions the Mother Country has to look generally to the Empire for an additional 70,000 tons of dairy produce annually, and New Zealand is in honour bound to help her to make up this shortage. Thus the rearing of additional heller calves from the best cows is urgent, and 1 am convinced that my fellow farmers will respond immediately to my appeal. "While I recognise that it would have been better to save additional calves from those born in July and August,” continued the Minister, “It is not too late for many additional oalves to be reared this year. Last season, for instance, in the four weeks between the middle of September and the noddle of October more than 150,000 bobby calves were slaughtered. This year a similar number would ordinarily be slaughtered. I therefore appeal to all dairy farmers to save as many of these heifer calves as possible. "A Munition Faotory” “Apart from representing a contribution to our war efforts the saving of additional calves is in the interests of the dairy industry. Replacement stock is high in price and farmers, to safeguard their own position, should increase the number of heifer calves saved to the maximum they can rear. "The Council of Primary Production Joins with me in this appeal, w-bich Is issued with the sure knowledge that the response will be nation wide," the Minister concluded. “Today every farm is a munition factory because the Empire requires butter as well as guns."