ADVISORY OFFICERS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 8

ADVISORY OFFICERS

Exchange Plan Hoped For

He hoped it would be possible to work out a mutually acceptable system for the exchange of advisory officers between the Department of Agriculture in New Zealand and the Ministry of Agriculture in Britain, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) told the Lincoln College farmers' conference. Mr Taiboys said that his department had obtained the services of Mr O. G. Williams, of the National Agricultural Advisory Service of the British Ministry of Agriculture, who would examine the advisory centres in New Zealand and indicate where he thought that some of the experience gained in Britain would be useful in New Zealand. New Zealanders should never jump to the conclusion that they could not learn from others, said the Minister. The New Zealand farmer was highly efficient but this did not mean that the average level of farming efficiency could not be improved. Mr Taiboys said he had been told of a man who had come .to Canterbury from Southland 16 years ago and in that period had increased the stock carrying capacity on the property he was fanning at least five times. He was assured that there was more land available that was capable of similar increases There were other cases where under similar soil and climatic conditions farmers wefe able to produce about 100 per cent more than others. The achievement of this level of production was an indication that they had achieved much greater efficiency in the use of resources Of capital and labour. “To my mind the increasing of production means in part at least the narrowing of that gap,” said the Minister.