Social Credit Farm Policy

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 18

Social Credit Farm Policy

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. “Social Credit is pledged to assure the farmer a return which covers his costs of production and which also includes a just reward for his labour on a basis equivalent to that of the rest of New Zealand,” said the league’s president, Mr V. F. Cracknell, in a policy statement on farming today. This was a fundamental policy point, he said. It had been official policy in 1960, was now, and would be in 1963. Other questions were secondary to the principle of assuring all farmers established costs of production plus a reasonable profit. “Since practically all our exports come from the land, it is only common sense to see that those primary industries are healthy and productive,” said Mr Cracknell. Other points of principle in Social Credit’s farm policy, outlined by Mr Cracknell, were: The Social Credit land and agricultural policy was directed to increasing the

production of health-giving foodstuffs, security of tenure, promotion of land settlement and development. The Social Credit objective was to make it financially possible for people to own their own land on the basis of private individual ownership. Social Credit was opposed to undue aggregation of productive farmland. No obstacle would be placed in the way of people using tlpeir own resources to develop marginal land. In these cases residential clauses would not apply. The policy of land development at present being carried out would be pursued. Loans up to 100 per cent, would be made available on a progressive basis at not more than 3 per cent, to private persons for land settlement development. Research would be intensified with more emphasis on' the relationship between agricultural and general health of man, animal and soil. For this purpose there would be increased grants for facilities for agricultural, plant and animal research. Diagnostic centres would be set up in all suitable districts. All existing farm education and training schemes would, where necessary, be extended to cope with the current need, and a voluntary scheme of adult farm training would be introduced. At the conclusion of training

graded applicants would be eligible for finance. Farmers would be given the right to choose between the present system of standard value for livestock whereby all stock was trading stock, and the system whereby capital stock was treated as such and only trading stock was taken into account in arriving at taxable income. No additional tax would be incurred in making the change-over. All primary producers would be given the opportunity to voluntarily establish reserve accounts to cover disasters due to natural phenomena and not otherwise insurable, similar to the snow loss reserve legislation.