More Farm Production Needed for Rising Population

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 87, Issue 3, 15 September 1953, Page 205

More Farm Production Needed for Rising Population

r ’IMELY attention to some of the problems likely to arise as our population reaches 3,000,000 some time in the early 1970 s is drawn in this year’s annual report to Parliament of the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, which is reproduced elsewhere in this issue. There was a period when New Zealand’s population showed a very slow rate of growth and the relatively rapid rate of increase of recent years is largely a post-war phenomenon when a high birth-rate coupled with a vigorous immigration policy has resulted in a net gain of some 40,000 a year, an addition each year of the equivalent of a new Hamilton plus a new Nelson.

It is generally accepted that an increasing population is a desirable feature in any country. It indicates a basically healthy state of affairs and is undoubtedly essential if a country is to develop its natural resources. It enables the overhead burden of essential services such as transport to be lowered to the individual, is important for strategic reasons, and, in a world where in many large regions population is a strain on resources, it is indicative of a sincere desire fully to utilise the national resources of our country. A static or declining population— the former must lead to the latter— very difficult problems of an ageing population with a consequent decline in the relative size of the all-essential labour force and a burden of unproductive aged people. It must not be lost sight of, however, that an increasing population in its turn raises problems for both industry and administrators. New Zealand is already experiencing some of these, such as the provision of schools, transport facilities, housing, and hospitals, but it is hoped that sufficient leeway will be made up in the next few years to break the back of these problems. The Director-General of Agriculture has, however, very rightly drawn attention to certain much more basic problems which will become of increasing significance as our population increases, namely the problem of increasing farm production to the extent likely to be needed in the course of the next 20 to 25 years. It appears that even with possible developments in secondary industry and the exploitation of our huge exotic forest resources it will be necessary for farm production to increase at least at the same rate as the population and that this will represent an average rate of increase considerably greater than has taken place over the past 25 years. More Intensive Methods of Farming Required As only limited areas of virgin land still await development, most of the required increase will have

to be obtained from existing farms by the adoption of more intensive methods. There are some areas where more intensive farming could be undertaken with relatively limited increased capital expenditure. There are others where heavy initial development costs must be incurred to raise carrying capacity. In a statement in the “Journal of Agriculture” in December 1950 I indicated that though it was difficult to prophesy economic conditions for more than a short time ahead, there was every reason to be optimistic about the future of our primary industries and that there was every justification for investing money in land development. Production and other statistics indicate that in recent years there has in fact been considerable investment in ways and means of increasing farm production. . Fertiliser usage for each of the past two seasons has exceeded 800,000 tons. Of this season’s total over 140,000 tons was sown from the air, one of several indications of the interest in improving hill country. Tractor numbers continue to climb by 5000 to 6000 a year and must now exceed 50,000. Imports of hay and silage machinery continue at a high level and, as a result, record acreages of hay and silage have been saved. Livestock numbers in 1952 were all at new record levels and although 1953 figures are not yet available, it is certain that they will be higher again for all major classes of stock. Matter for Individual Farmer All this is very gratifying, because it cannot be too strongly emphasised that though the importance of farm production is fully recognised by the Government, which will continue to take every possible step to remove any obstacles to development that come within the scope of Governmental activity and to assist in increasing production wherever possible, increasing production is basically a matter for the individual farmer with the assistance of farmer organisations and producer boards. In spite of one or two small clouds on the marketing horizon in the shape of substitute products for two of our major exports, I think we can look forward to the future with confidence. New Zealand’s great natural advantages, plus the high standard of skill attained by our farming community with the assistance of research and extension workers enable us to produce meat, wool, and dairy produce at a lower cost than any other country. I feel that the potential exists for making the necessary increases and that I can repeat with equal confidence in 1953 what I wrote in 1950 that there is little room for doubt as to the wisdom of investing money in land development

K. J. HOLYOAKE,

Minister of Agriculture