96 PRODUCTION 



are more afflicted by diseases and pests in South Africa than 

 perhaps in any other region of temperate latitude ; and they are 

 also held in check by droughts and by the difficulty of finding on 

 the veldt fodder crops that will remain green during the winter. 

 It is possible that the progress of veterinary science and the practice 

 of more careful methods by stock farmers will do much to check 

 in the future the ravages of destructive diseases among sheep and 

 cattle. 



Under the present circumstances the meat, butter and cheese 

 produced locally in South Africa is not sufficient to meet the re- 

 quirements of home consumption. Small shipments of beef have 

 been made from Natal, but it is thought that since South Africa 

 has to import both meat and dairy produce, the interests of South 

 African consumers would be injured if any extensive meat export 

 trade were developed at the present time. Indeed, South Africa 

 with its great mining centres bears more resemblance, as has 

 already been noted, to the deficient industrial than to the surplus- 

 producing countries. 1 



It is true that this region is a considerable exporter of wool ; 

 owing to its semi-arid climate, its strength lies rather in wool 

 and hair producing breeds of animals (merino sheep and angora 

 goats) than in meat producing breeds. It thus bears a close 

 resemblance to Australia, though it is never likely to have as great 

 a surplus of animal foodstuffs as the latter. South Africa also re- 

 sembles Australia in that dairying has been established along the 

 south-eastern coastal strip where the conditions are " extremely well 

 suited for the breeding and raising of dairy stock." 2 South Africa, 

 however, differs from Southern Australia in its conditions of rain- 

 fall. Except for the extreme south-western district round Cape- 

 town, the former is characterised by a summer rainfall, while the 

 latter receives most of its rainfall in winter. It should be noted 

 that practically the whole of the Australian State of Victoria, 

 which is relatively the greatest dairying state in the Commonwealth, 

 lies south of the latitude of Capetown. The main Dividing Range 

 in both South Africa and Southern Australia lies near the south- 

 east coast, but this circumstance affects the annual rainfall of the 

 westerly districts more adversely in South Africa than in Australia, 

 owing to the difference in the direction of the rain-beaiing winds. 

 On the other hand, while the centre of South Africa is occupied 

 by a plateau favourable to precipitation, the centre of Australia 

 consists of a depression whose rainfall is further diminished by the 



1 Till the year 1914 the net imports of animal foodstuffs into South Africa 

 were considerable, but they have since declined rapidly. According to the 

 Final Report of the Dominions Commission the value of the total imports of 

 this class declined from 1'IS million in 1913 to ^0'88 million in 1915, not- 

 withstanding the rise in prices. There appears to be every prospect of the 

 Union becoming independent of outside sources for its supplies of all animal 

 foodstuffs, except, perhaps, pig-meat. It may indeed have a permanent 

 exportable surplus of beef and dairy products in the future. 



2 Dominions Commission, Third Interim Report, p. 31. 



