If you want to develop farming, you have to identify one question, and that is the main direction of development, which is the so-called core industry of Australasia.

Looking at the whole of Australasia, what are the core industries?

Truth be told, Arthur hadn't counted it yet. After all, Australasia is too rich in resources, and various industries are not inferior to other countries, and it can be regarded as a balanced development at present.

After the occupation of the Persian Gulf Territory, Australasia had few deficiencies in mineral resources and energy.

If I had to talk about the flaw, it might be the water problem of the Australian continent.

Water scarcity is a common problem in Australia now and in the future, and it is the biggest constraint on the development of Australasia today.

People need large quantities of drinking water for their livelihoods, irrigation water for agriculture and animal husbandry, and industrial water for industry, which is a burden on Australasia's current water reserves.

Although the government enacted laws to protect water resources more than a decade ago, the improvement has not been significant for the water-scarce environment across Australia.

The good news is that with a large number of water conservancy projects being built, there is enough water to be stockpiled in a large number of reservoirs to meet the needs of all residents in Australia.

And the current situation is still better than that of future generations in 100 years.

Desertification has not yet spread in some areas, such as the Murray River basin, which is still worth saving.

But Western Australia's desert is no longer untouchable, making nearly half of Australia's more than 7 million square kilometres uninhabitable.

In any case, the current situation in Australasia is much better than that of later Australia, and there is much more water and land available for use.

According to government statistics and estimates, the current water resources in Australia are basically enough to meet the needs of the population before reaching 40 million.

A population of 40 million is a chasm for the whole of Australasia, with a current population of just over 23.8 million.

If only the population of Australia is counted, even if it is only about 17 million people, it is impossible to reach the red line of 40 million in a short time.

This also means that before Australia's population reaches 40 million, Arthur's planned north-south water diversion project in New Guinea can even begin.

As long as New Guinea's water resources can be mobilized, if not to alleviate the water crisis in the Australian region, at least a large part of it can be solved.

The protection of the Murray and Darling rivers can also improve the water resources of the entire Murray and Darling River basins.

Experts are also promoting a bold proposal to solve the problem of water resources, which is to dig up the lake and the Great Australian Bay and let the seawater back into the lake to improve the ecological environment around the lake.

As a result, not even just the Murray River Basin, but the entire Artesian Basin could become developable land in Australasia.

That's the equivalent of an extra million square kilometers of land, and Australasia could even cancel all expansion plans and spend the next two or three decades focusing on developing the territory.

Speaking of this proposal, we have to mention the largest inland lake in the whole of Australasia, Lake Ayr.

Lake Eyre is a well-known seasonal lake in Australasia and is rarely filled with rain.

The reduction of water resources in Lake Eyre is also an important cause of desertification in the Great Artesian Basin. As the most important lake in south-central Australia, if Lake Eyre has enough water, it can greatly improve the geographical environment of the vicinity.

Because this is a saltwater lake and Loch Eyre is 15 metres below sea level, it is entirely feasible to use a canal to connect Great Australian Bay to Loch Ayr.

Although Lake Eyre is hundreds of kilometers from the coast, the work is not as difficult as imagined.

First of all, there are also Torrens and Gairdner lakes to the south of the Eyre Lake, and if the two lakes can be connected, the distance will be reduced by more than half.

In addition to these lakes, the distance that actually needs to be driven through the canal is less than 150 kilometers, and the cost of such a project is completely affordable to the government, and the changes to the Australian region are also very huge.

The North-to-South Water Diversion and Canal Project will greatly improve the water resources situation in central Australia, and it will indeed become a supercontinent that can accommodate 200 million people.

Arthur was still interested in the canal between Lake Eyre and the Greater Australian Bay, which some experts had proposed.

However, it is still necessary for the relevant geographical surveyors to check whether the project is capable of being completed, and all preparations must be made before the Grand Canal project can begin.

Compared to the North-South Water Diversion Project, which requires undersea pipeline technology, the Grand Canal is currently Australasia's ability to build on its own, and even if conditions permit, construction can start as soon as possible.

Faced with a project that has the potential to improve Australia's water resources, Arthur says it's impossible not to be impressed.

It was at Arthur's urging that a team of surveyors was assembled, and they were to survey the feasibility of the Grand Canal project from North Eyre Lake to the Great Australian Bay in six months' time, and to give a definite answer in mid-1922 to decide whether the government should start the Grand Canal project.

Water resources are the lifeblood of Australasia's development, and if the problem of water resources can be solved, it will seem to have opened up the second pulse for the development of Australasia.

This also means that Australasia, which has improved its water resources, has the potential to compete with other countries and be able to pursue supremacy after World War II.

When it comes to Australasia's core industry, the first thing that comes to mind is the world-renowned livestock industry.

This is no joke, Australasia's livestock industry is the most developed, but it is definitely among the best in the world.

As the largest meat exporter, Australasia's beef and lamb are renowned worldwide for the quality of their beef and lamb, and even as the earth's ranch.

In order to encourage the development of livestock in Australasia, the government has invested a lot.

The first is to reduce taxes on pastures for animal husbandry and provide some assistance. This includes, but is not limited to, providing free animal medical assistance, researching uniform and effective animal feed, improving the breed of cattle and sheep, etc.

With the control of the state and the leadership of the royal family, Australasia has nothing to do in terms of animal husbandry, and it is left to develop freely.

In addition to animal husbandry, agriculture is also one of the pillar industries that Australasia is currently vigorously developing.

Although Australasia's agricultural production was not high before, after more than ten years of development, it has already become one of the famous grain exporters.

Although the output is not comparable to that of some European powers, including the United Kingdom, the population of Australasia is relatively small, and the consumption of food is not much.

Throughout 1921, Australasia's grain production was as high as 20.14 million tons, and the total amount of grain exported to the outside world was as high as more than 5 million tons.

Aside from that, are there any other core industries in Australasia?

In terms of industry, the heritage is not as good as that of an old power like Britain, and the scale is not as good as that of an emerging power like the United States.

The development of the military industry is good, but there are a large number of weapons and equipment that are not suitable for taking them out now, let alone taking them as a pillar industry.

Because of population constraints, Australasia's attempt to catch up with the United States will not be possible in a short period of time.

At least until the population size is not in the hundreds of millions, and until the United States experiences a major weakening, it is unrealistic.

In general, the only core industries in which the world has an advantage may be animal husbandry, agriculture and manufacturing (automobiles).

This is an industry in which Australasia has an advantage, and at least it is necessary to maintain its advantage, strive to create a gap in these industries, and create a cliff-like lead.

Perhaps the best of these is in the livestock and automobile industries.

To this end, Arthur deliberately asked the government to formulate a development plan to encourage livestock, agriculture and manufacturing, and to expand the scale of these three industries as much as possible.

Manufacturing is not limited to automobiles, including a variety of industrial products, Australasia can still compete.

The development of animal husbandry and agriculture has to encourage a larger number of workers, and the best way to solve this problem is to let people see the income from engaging in animal husbandry and agriculture.

According to government statistics, Australasia's agricultural and livestock population is about 7 million, accounting for nearly one-third of the total population.

At present, the size of the agricultural population has been further reduced due to the mechanization of agriculture.

However, because animal husbandry is more complex and requires proper care of livestock, there is no machinery that can replace the labor of animal husbandry.

However, because of Australasia's reputation for beef and mutton, livestock farming has earned more than agriculture.

According to the data, the per capita income of the agricultural population in Australasia is around 50-60 Australian dollars, and the per capita income of the livestock population has exceeded 60 Australian dollars.

While ranchers take most of their income, rancher workers are well paid per capita income, which is why Australasia's livestock industry is so large.

Of course, more people are choosing to create their own ranches, which has also led to an innumerable number of small and medium-sized farms in Australasia, and the total number of cattle and sheep raised is already immeasurable.

Since 1850, Australia has been responsible for more than half of the British Empire's wool imports, and now accounts for more than 80% of the UK's total wool imports.

As a country known as sitting on the back of sheep, Australasia currently has more than 200 million cattle and sheep, even if a large amount of beef and mutton is exported every year, it still cannot withstand the crazy growth of cattle and sheep.

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(End of chapter)