Changes In N.Z. Agriculture Proposed By Dr. McMeekan

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 16

Changes In N.Z. Agriculture Proposed By Dr. McMeekan

(N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON, April 16. “In spite of the marked increase in the proportion of our people no longer engaged in farming pursuits, the output from our farmlands is still the dominating factor in our national economic welfare,” said Dr. C. P. McMeekan, director of the Ruakura Animal Research Station, in an address to the Hamilton Rotary Club.

More food than ever must be provided for an increasing local population and more surpluses must be exported to pay for the machines and raw materials of local processing industries involved in fabricating consumer goods, said Dr. McMeekan. More exchange must be earned by farmers to meet the cost of the ever-increas-ing variety of consumer goods not manufactured in New Zealand but regarded as essential by a community with ever-demanding standards of comfort and enjoyment.

All this was expected today from a labour force of less than 130,000, or about 5 per cent, of the population, and less than 15 per cent, of the total labour supply. In spite of the relatively spectacular and specific advances in technology of recent years-, the most solid contribution of developmental research had been the setting of targets of production for New Zealand’s different systems of farming. These were important not only as stimulants to producers, but in providing soundly-based estimates of national potentials. Thus, it was not many years since the target of 2001 b of butterfat or its equivalent an acre was achieved by but a few dairy farmers. A large proportion had attained this figure now and a new target of 400-5001 b had been set. Fattening farms had increased efficiency to a

level such that an output of 1301 b of dressed meat an acre was common, and a target of more than 3001 b was readily attainable.

Dr. McMeekan said he believed that certain changes were necessary for a continuing healthy agriculture in an economic sense. There must be some return in social, political and economic thinking and action in the direction of recognising the basic importance of primary production and with the main objective of restoring incentives and increasing margins.

Restrictive effects of limitation to the scope of farm operation should be carefully examined and modified so as to give to the nation the benefits of the superior skills and experience of farmers of proven high capacity. A diversification in farm enterprises was essential in both marketing and production. Such diversification must preserve the basic

efficiency of specialisation on the farm. Continued and more extensive research and development was vital. This should not be concentrated upon mere technological aspects of existing farming patterns, but must be extended to embrace marketing and farm management research in all their angles. In particular, organised study of new farming patterns, which took due cognisance of the world production and marketing scene, was essential. The pace of change ki the direction of industrialisation must be regulated and geared by the pace of change in the direction of increased efficiency of agriculture. “I regard this as vital to the sound economic and . social development of New Zealand,” Dr. McMeekan said.

In the development of secondary industries, costs must not be permitted to cripple the ability of the farmer to maintain a profitable primary industry, said Dr. McMeekan.