FARMING IN N.Z.

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28284, 23 May 1957, Page 12

FARMING IN N.Z.

“Place For Big Business ”

There is a place for big business in farming and land development in New Zealand in the view of Sir Bruce Levy, former director of the Grasslands Division, who gave the opening address at the annual farmers’ conference at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, yesterday. “I am definitely of the opinion that the future may see more big business in farming,” he said. “Big business already exists in processing and in disposal of our produce and it is obviously unsound to deny big business in the production angle of our major industry. “The price structure in farming alone must soon call for big business. The set-up of a farm today is beyond the youth of the country with eyes on the land. His only chance is the good fortune of being the son of a farmer who can subdivide the farm or finance him into a piece of land of his own. Land development companies, co-operative concerns, farm firms or an extension of the stock and station agents to own land and finance land development and farming, may be big operatives of the future. . . . Crown Lands “Today the Lands Department is really usurping the real functions of co-operatives of big business in land development,” said Sir Bruce Levy. “Not that the Lands Department is not making a really good job of land development and settlement, but its activities are too restricted and it will take 100 years to cover the whole of New Zealand at the present rate of progress, even to the bringing in of Crown lands. “There are millions of acres in the aggregate of privately-owned land well beyond the finances and labour force of the owner occupier. Some more efficient means of bringing these lands into higher production must be sought and if big business was encouraged to operate it would contribute greatly to the future,” said Sir Bruce Levy.