Afghan Agriculturists

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30610, 28 November 1964, Page 1

Afghan Agriculturists

The first two Afghans to visit New Zealand under Colombo Plan awards arrived in Christchurch yesterday from Palmerston North.

They were among a party of 30 delegates who have been attending an international seed-testing training course and workshop for South and South-east Aria which was held at the Department of Agriculture’s seed-testing station in Palmerston North.

The delegates, who arrived in Christchurch yesterday, will spend a week in the Canterbury area inspecting seed processing plants and seedgrowing areas. During this week-end the party will visit Mount Cook. A

One of the Afghans was Mr Ali Hashimi, who is director of agricultural research with the Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture. Mr Hashimi was impressed with the seed-testing work being done in New Zealand and said much of what he had learnt on the course would be of great benefit when applied to Afghanistan conditions. He thought New Zealand was quite advanced in animal husbandry and pasture management and hoped it would be possible for other Afghan students to study in this country under the Colombo Plan. In his home country, the economy was based mainly on agriculture, about 85 per cent of the population being either directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture or light industry. As a result of what be had learned during the course, Mr Hashimi hoped to bring

about some beneficial changes in his country’s agricultural industry as a whole. In Afghanistan, a great deal of work was being done towards the establishment of a seed-testing station and Mr Hashimi hoped that further help could be gained from other countries under the Colombo Plan scheme. Both he and his fellow countryman, Mr Pashtoon Ahad, who also works in the Ministry of Agriculture in Kabul, were impressed with New Zealand, its inhabitanta and its hospitality. Other members in the party also expressed pleasure at being in New Zealand and said they had learned a great deal from the course. Other countries represented by the delegates include Maiaysia, Indonesia, Ceylon, India, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea and other South-east Asian countries.