SMALL SEEDS BOARD

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25797, 7 May 1949, Page 5

SMALL SEEDS BOARD

Great Possibilities x For Export A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT In its assessment of the possibilities of an export market for New Zealand small seeds, the main conclusions of which are printed on this page, Federated Farmers are perhaps a little gloomy. Many of the disadvantages set before the conference at Timaru could be overcome by a board such as is now suggested, and it is possible that a board could- establish an export trade in seeds as sound and successful as the export trade in meat and dairy produce. New Zealand has something of exceptional quality to sell in pasture seeds. The certification scheme has ensured strains of known performance. The comments of visitors, particularly the comments of American agricultural scientists who attended the recent Pacific Science Congress, were repeatedly in high praise of New Zealand pastures. The principal of one American university specialising in agriculture was so impressed that he plans to send two senior members of his staff to New Zealand to study the New Zealand certification system, and the New Zealand system of grassland management. In the United Kingdom, New Zealand certified seed is gaining an increasingly important place, and in Australia it is improving its position. It should be emphasised that New Zealand seed has been bred and developed for conditions here, but that it is successful in other countries has already been proved. New Zealand is at present in the lead in seed production, and in a world in which there is increasing pressure on every acre capable of producing foodstuffs, there is an obvious opportunity for high producing New Zealand pasture seed.

Three Main Markets The three main possibilities for an increased export market are at present Great Britain, Australia, and the United States. In Britain, the control of the importation of small seeds is largely in the hands of the merchants, who act on behalf of the Government, and seeds need not be uneconomically cheap to become established more firmly on the British market. It is not necessarily the British farmer who wants cheap seed. Like his New Zealand counterpart, if he can see extra profit in buying dearer seed, he will buy it. It is customary for the British farmer to buy ready made up mixtures for laying down permanent grass, and if his merchant can see more money in including cheap Continental lines in mixtures the merchant will do so, provided that quality is not such that the good name of the merchant win be damaged. With the regulation of imports on behalf of the authorities largely in the hands of the merchants, it is not unnatural to expect a lack of information and consequent uncertainy in dealings in seeds. There is no doubt that the British farmer would begin to insist on New Zealand seeds if he knew more about them. An obvious advantage would come to New Zealand farmers if the British farmer could be persuaded to ask for New Zealand seed, in the same way that the British housewife has been persuaded to ask for New Zealand lamb and butter. Much of Britain now under cereal crops will be regrassed, and much inferior pasture will eventually be laid down to good strains. The Australian climate is in many areas unfavourable for the development of pasture as we know it. Nevertheless, great areas of the Commonwealth have excellent soils and sufficient rainfall to make pasture improvement possible, and much improvement is already going on. By our standards the Australian seed trade is primitive. Merchants usually have little of the technical knowledge merchants in New Zealand have, and the Government agricultural ’ agencies have only recently begun to take pasture production seriously. A present difficulty with the Australian market is that New Zealand seed prices appear to Australian farmers to be too high. The same argument applies in Australia as applies in Britain—if farmers can see added profit in dear seed, they will buy it. They must be shown the possibilities of New Zealand seed. Grass More Important The United States is already a market for substantial quantities of New Zealand seed, but possibilities for development seem to be extremely favourable. Grass is now playing a more important part in American farming. For one thing. American farmers and those concerned -with soil resources, are thoroughly alive to the need for replacing bare-ground crops with grass in a system of farming designed to conserve the soil. Apart from this, huge areas of American pastures are inefficient by our standard, and could be improved by using our good seeds. American farmers could be persuaded to use our seed.

Those seem to be the potentialities of the market. A board, somewhat on the lines of the Meat and Dairy Boards, concerning itself mainly with demonstrating the capabilities of New Zealand grass seeds and acting as a liaison between New Zealand growers and overseas users, could do much to expand all three markets.

New Zealand is well placed to expand the export of seeds. New L iland farmers are now skilled ift production of pasture seed, and are well in advance of other countries in their methods of handling it economically. The seed trade within the country is well organised. The product lor sale is of a guaranteed standard, and is backed by the certificate of the New Zealand Government, which is entirely impartial. The board and its staff need not be large, or spend a great deal of money. It could achieve its purpose by sending a few experts in pasture development and management to meet and work with the many government and private agencies overseas which are exceedingly interested in anything that will improve grassland production. It would, of course, co-operate with the Government in keeping quality up to its present high standard. The board should be kept within the industry. Americans, and Australians are highly suspicious of any form of government trading.