THE NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL YEAR-BOOK, 1950

NOTE.—In 1950 a special census of agriculture was conducted as part of the world census of agriculture. A considerably wider scope was covered in this special census than in the normal annual collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics. In particular, a comprehensive examination of farm machinery was undertaken for the first time; while, again, an analysis of farm population and employment was made. Detailed analysis of the wealth of material collected at this census will take a considerable time, but the first results—New Zealand totals, for each item of information included in the questionnaires—are published below. The figures are subject to slight revision when final tabulations are completed.

Attention is directed to the fact that the census covered holdings of 1 acre or over located outside borough boundaries.

Summary of Holdings and of Area in Cultivation (pp. 280–282).—Figures shoving the position as at the 31st January, 1950, are given below.

The total area occupied at 31st January, 1950, is further subdivided as follows:—

Top-dressing (p. 342).—The area of grassland top-dressed during the year 1949–50 is given in the following table.

Crops (pp. 331–347).—Following is a summary of the principal crop statistics for the production year 1949–50.

PRINCIPAL CROPS, 1949–50 PRODUCTION SEASON

The yield of wheat in the 1950 harvest season was 4,897,602 bushels, a decrease of 1,060,424 bushels below the total yield in the previous season. The acreage harvested fell from 146,707 acres in 1948–49 to 125,126 acres in 1949–50—a fall of 14.7 per cent. Moreover, the yield per acre (39.14 bushels) was slightly lower than the record yield of 40.61 for 1948–49. The acreage under oats for grain also showed a substantial fall—in this instance from 78,300 acres in 1948–49 to 52,645 acres in 1949–50—while the aggregate yield fell from 3,718,597 bushels to 2,620,252 bushels. The acreage of barley threshed showed a small decrease (from 58,707 acres in 1948–49 to 56,916 acres in 1949–50), although the yield rose from 2,256,362 bushel, in the former year to 2,433,485 bushels in the latter year.

The potato crop in 1949–50 totalled 136,049 tons, a considerable increase of 26,405 tons, or 264 per cent., on the 1948–49 harvest; while a large decrease was recorded in the onion crop (8,386 tons in 1949–50, compared with 10,674 tons in 1948–49).

The area under tobacco of 3,376 acres showed only a slight fall from the record acreage of 3,484 in 1948–49. In addition to this area, a quite considerable acreage is grown within borough boundaries. Acreages of grasses and clovers harvested for seed in 1949–50 fell compared with those of the previous year. The acreage of perennial rye-grass declined from 51,226 acres in 1948–49 to 43,743 acres in 1949–50—the yield however, rising from 17,159,333 lb. to 17,550,046 lb.

Livestock (pp. 348–364).—In the following table the numbers of live-stock on holdings at. 31st January, 1949 and 1950, are given.

LIVE-STOCK AS AT 31ST JANUARY

The total number of cattle in New Zealand on 31st January, 1950, was 4,948,809, compared with the previous record total of 4,722,836 in 1949. Dairy stock rose from 2,681,428 in 1949 to 2,859,977 in 1950, while beef stock rose from 2,041,408 in the former year to 2,088,832 in the latter year.

The number of dairy cows in milk during the season rose from 1,746,753 in 1949 to 1,845,510 in 1950, while butterfat production increased from 467,000,000 lb. in the 1948–49 dairying season to 471,000,000 lb. in the 1949–50 season.

Sheep (p. 350).—A collection of statistics of sheep population was made through Inspectors of Stock on 30th April. Following are the results (in summarized form) of the last two collections of this data.

SHEEP AT 30TH APRIL (INCLUDING SHEEP IN BOROUGHS)

The foregoing statement shows the position at 30th April of each year, and at this stage the meat-slaughtering season is well advanced, consequently the figures do not represent maximum sheep population. Estimates of lambing made from reports furnished by Inspectors of Stock show the total production of lambs in the 1950 season to amount to 20,926,119 lambs, as compared with 21,169,846 lambs actually tailed in the 1949 season. The lambing estimate for 1949 was 20,742,499. Sheep shorn in 1949–50 totalled 31,525,570, and lambs shorn 6,332,148.

Farm Machinery (pp. 327–331).—Statistics of farm machinery on holdings in 1950 are given in the following table.

FARM MACHINERY, ETC., AS AT 31ST JANUARY, 1950

Farm Population.—The following table gives the number of persons actually resident on farm holdings on the 31st January, 1950.

General Review.—As mentioned at the commencement of these notes, the 1949–50 inquiry covered a number of items not included in the normal collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics. The previous comprehensive inquiry (conducted as part of a world census of agriculture) was for the year 1929–30, so that comparisons in many cases must be made over a period of twenty years. The 1950 collection was made by personal canvas, and in some cases farms which had not been covered by immediately preceding collections were included. Again more exact definition of requirements was possible in the personal collection. These factors have to some extent affected year-to-year comparisons.

Significant changes in occupancy have taken place since 1930, as is evidenced by the growth in the number of holdings worked under a share system, in the increased number of farm-managers, and also in the larger number of holdings now occupied by Maoris. The following comparison illustrates the extent of these changes.

The increased use of fertilizers on grasslands is well illustrated by the growth in the area top-dressed (from 2,650,748 acres in 1929–30 to 5,730,604 acres in 1949–50).

The growth in irrigation as between the two periods is also worthy of note. In 1949–50, 106,494 acres were irrigated, as compared with 64,846 acres in 1929–30.

The development in the small-seeds industry is shown by the areas of grasses, clovers, and lucerne cut for seed, which were 66,855 acres in 1929–30 and 148,093 acres in 1949–50. The total yields obtained from these areas were 20,040,103 1b. and 36,520,599 lb. respectively.

A wealth of detailed information relating to farm machinery is available for 1950, and is shown in the appropriate table. A comparison of the main headings for the years 1930 and 1950 is as follows:—

The farm labour force and farm population are important aspects of our farming economy, and the following comparisons throw into detail some of the major changes that have taken place.

PERSONS (FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE AND OVER) ENGAGED IN FARM WORK

Although there has been a decrease in farm employment, particularly among workers (other than family), as compared with 1929–30, the total farm population has shown an increase from 345,770 in 1929–30 to 372,450 in 1949–50.

The 1949–50 statistics of yields of grain crops show that the pre-harvest estimates for that season were slightly exceeded in each case. The pre-harvest estimates of yields for the 1950–51 season, which are given later, forecast an increased yield of wheat but substantial decreases in the yields of oats and barley. The total area sown in the five major cash crops (wheat, oats, barley, peas, and potatoes) shows a reduction of almost 10 per cent. as between 1949–50 and 1950–51.

All classes of dairy stock showed increases in numbers between 1949 and 1950, as also did most other classes of live-stock. The 1950 total for dairy cows in milk is the highest total on record, as are also the number of sheep shorn, the number of lambs shorn, and the number of lambs tailed.

Estimated Areas of Principal Crops, 1951 Season.—Estimates of areas sown under wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes were collected in the spring of 1950 by inquiry from growers of these crops. Following are the estimates in acres.

These figures relate only to holdings of 1 acre and over situated outside borough boundaries. In addition, in the case of potatoes, a fairly considerable amount in the aggregate is grown on smaller holdings and on holdings within borough boundaries.

The following estimated average yields per acre of wheat, oats, and barley for the season 1950–51 have been compiled from reports furnished by officers of the Department of Agriculture throughout New Zealand.

In accordance with the above estimates, the total yield of wheat for the season 1950–51 should be approximately 5,900,000 bushels, as against a yield of 4,897,602 bushels for the season 1949–50.

The area from which oats were threshed for the five seasons ending with 1949–50 averaged 34.17 per cent. of the total area under that crop. Assuming that a similar proportion is threshed this year, the total yield of grain would be approximately 2.100,000 bushels, as against a yield of 2,620,252 bushels for the season 1949–50.

On a similar assumption in regard to barley, the total yield of grain would be 2,000,000 bushels, as against 2,433,485 bushels for the season 1949–50.

Timber Production (pp. 376–377).—Provisional figures issued by the New Zealand Forest Service for the year ended 31st March, 1951, indicate a new record for timber production, the output of rough-sawn timber being given as 525,000,000 board feet. The output of the major species was as follows: rimu and miro, 229,200,000 board feet; matai, 36,800,000 board feet; kahikatea, 20,000,000 board feet; beech, 17,600,000 board feet; and insignis pine 182,900,000 board feet. The total for indigenous species is 332,700,000 board feet, and for exotic species 192,700,000 board feet.

Electric-pawer Statistics (p. 462).—Principal data covering all stations for the year ended 31st March. 1950, are summarized below:—

Following are the principal statistics of factory production in the years 1938–39, 1947–18, and 1949–60. Data for the year 1948–49 are not shown here although included in the relevant portions of Section 22. In that year the annual survey was carried out on a sample basis, only 20 major industries being covered.

The quantities of some of the more important factory products in 1938–39, 1947–48, and 1949–50 are given in the following table.

Classification of Industries.—In the following table the principal factory statistics are classified according to four significant industrial groups. Group I comprises industries concerned with processing pastoral products; Group II, public utility industries (electricity generation and supply, gasworks); Group III, further industries closely associated with primary or extractive production (e.g., sawmilling); and Group IV, the remainder of factory industries, being those falling generally within the economic classification of “secondary” production. (For a detailed explanation see pages 421–422 of this Year-Book.)

In the following table index numbers of the value and volume of production in each of the four classes and for all factory production are shown.

INDEX NUMBERS OF VALUE AND VOLUME OF FACTORY PRODUCTION BASE: 1938–39 (= 100)

Reserve Bank (p. 588).—The weekly averages of liabilities and assets of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand during the calendar year 1950 are shown below, together with the corresponding figures for the year 1949.

Trading Banks (pp. 588–594).—A statement of the principal statistics of the operation of trading banks during the calendar years 1949 and 1950 is given below.

An analysis of advances of the trading banks at quarterly intervals is published by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and the classification as at the last Wednesday in March of 1950 and 1951, is contained in the following table. Figures for earlier years will be found on page 593.

Overseas Assets of Banks (p. 598).—In the following table the revised series of overseas assets of banks (on account of New Zealand business only) are shown.

Savings-banks (pp. 600–603).—A summary of statistics of savings-banks at 31st March, 1951, is given below.

Overseas Receipts and Payments.—The following statement gives statistics of exchange-control transactions for the year ended 31st March, 1951, on the basis of the revised classification. Figures for earlier March years given on page 599 are based on the former classification and the items are not directly comparable with those presented here. Comparable items for the calendar year 1950 are, however, given on page 946. All figures quoted are taken from Reserve Bank sources.