AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27246, 13 January 1954, Page 4

AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN

“VAST STRIDES” SINCE

WAR (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 12. The newly-appointed agricultural adviser to the United Kingdom High Commissioner (Mr Edward Giles Griffiths), and Mrs Griffiths arrived at Wellington in today’s Solent from ney. He succeeds Mr D. S. Hendrie, who left New Zealand last November to take up a position as principal of the West of Scotland Agricultural College. Mr Griffiths, who is 36 years, gained his first agricultural experience as a trainee on a dairy farm. After graduating from Durham University he was appointed to the staff of the Agricultural Advisory Officer for Norfolk 13 years ago. He was deputy-drainage officer for five years, and for the last few years has been assistant agricultural advisory officer in charge of West Norfolk, an area of 400,000 acres. Discussing agriculture in Britain today, Mr Griffiths said he doubted whether there had ever been another period in the United Kingdom’s long agricultural history when such vast strides had been taken. This had been made possible by making increasing use of scientific farming methods and by the many scientific discoveries made since 1939. Britain was now producing half her own food compared with a third before the war. It was expected she would shortly be producing 60 per cent, more food than she did in 1939.