‘National Responsibility’ In Developing Irrigation

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30191, 24 July 1963, Page 9

‘National Responsibility’ In Developing Irrigation

A survey which found that irrigation was unprofitable for farmers in the AshburtonLyndhurst area had been publicised in such a way that st appeared to say that irrigation was of no value, the Lincoln College Council was told yesterday. Irrigation should be developed as a national responsibility, the council resolved, “because of the widespread benefits to the community as a whole which followed from its development and use —as supported by Dr, J, D. Stewart’s survey of the Ashburton-Lyndhurst area.” Dr. Stewart is senior lecturer in farm management and rural valuation at the college. Mr S. M. Hurst told the council yesterday that publication of Dr. Stewart's findings amounted to a national disaster. Mr Hurst said he knew that anything Dr. Stewart and the college said was taken notice of by farmers, the public, and even the Government. And yet things of significance in the report had not been reported in the newspapers. For example, the rainfall for his area, which had been down to lOin, had not been reported. “No doubt Dr. Stewart’s findings for three years are correct, and irrigation doesn’t pay,” he said, “but we could have those dry years again. Irrigation can pay handsomely. The only way is for Lincoln College to take over dry land and show it can be done.” Mr Hurst said a 25,000-acre irrigation scheme was being surveyed in his area, and the reports on Dr. Stewart’s findings were ideal ammunition for those fanners who opposed it.

Dr. M M. Burns, principal of the college, said it was unfortunate that other aspects of Dr. Stewart s report had not been given equal prominence. For instance, Dr. Stewart had dealt specifically with the Ashburton-Lynd-hurst area, but unfortunately those who had commented on his report had tended to apply his findings to other areas

It was essential, said Dr Burns, that the specific limitations which Dr. Stewart had placed on his report should be made clear in any publicity on the report “Nationally, the develop-

ment of irrigation in these areas is desirable,” he said, “and we should say so. An irrigation development project is of importance to the whole country.” As well as being a good thing on the national scale, irrigation would be a good thing for many individual farmers, said the deputychairman (Mr A. Henderson).