Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1961]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/88 (page 22)
    Crown land may be rented. Resources at present undeveloped are the extensive kelp (macro - cystis) beds, whales which are found in the surrounding waters, deep-sea fishing and sealing. AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY No crops are grown in the Colony, with the exception of a limited supply of oaten hay. The staff of the Agricultural Department consists of two agri¬ cultural and livestock assistants and three labourers. There is at present no agricultural or veterinary officer, and the duties of such an officer are undertaken by one of the agricultural and livestock assistants who is also officer in charge of the department. The policy of the Agricultural Department is: (i) to co-operate with the sheep farmers in maintaining a high standard of health in their flocks by combating and preventing disease; (ii) to control the importation of livestock and agricultural products; (iii) to collect and produce agricultural and livestock statistics. In 1960 the Colony had 609,837 sheep, 11,453 cattle, 3,384 horses, and 19 swine, compared with 617,061, 10,925, 3,339, and 43 res¬ pectively in 1961. Sheep and cattle are distributed among farms in the East and West Falklands. Methods of keeping livestock are uniform through¬ out the Colony. The average weight of wool exported annually over the last five years was 4,616,0001b. The wool clips in 1960 and 1961 were exported through the Falkland Islands Company, Limited. No dairy produce was exported. An occasional shipment of mutton was made to the whaling establishments in South Georgia, and some sheep were sold to meat-freezing plants in Southern Chile. Details of exports of livestock products are given on page 21. The Director of the Hill Farming Research Organisation in Scot¬ land visited the islands during 1960-61 in connection with improve¬ ment to the pastures and to the sheep industry generally. His report is at present being studied, and action as a result of his comments and recommendations is planned. FORESTRY There are no forests in the Colony.