PROGRAMME FOR HILL CONFERENCE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 8

PROGRAMME FOR HILL CONFERENCE

The programme has now been announced for the North Canterbury farmers’ conference on hill country development to be held at the Waipara HaK on the afternoon and evening of July 6. It is being organised by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the Amberley, Amuri. Cheviot, Hawar-den-Waikari and Omihi branches of Federated Farmers.

The conference will be opened by the Assistant Dir-ector-General of Agriculture, Dr. A. T. Johns, and followI ing him will be Mr R. A. Milne, senior farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture. Rangiora, speaking on the development potential of North Canterbury hill country—what area is capable of development?; Professor J. D. Stewart, professor of farm management at Lincoln College, on the development of difficult hill country—what are the problems associated with this type of country?: Messrs P. I. Burbury, of Waiau, and C. T. White, of Cheviot, giving the development stories of two North Canterbury hill properties; Mr R. C. Stuart, executive director of the Agricultural Production Council,

on the availability of fi.iance for development—how can a development programme be financed? and Mr H. R. Wise, an engineer, of Oamaru, will speak about the place of water reticulation in development—stock must have adequate water. There will then be a period of open discussion before an evening meal.

The conference will continue in the evening with addresses on the future prospects for New Zealand’s meat production on worfd markets by Mr P. D. Hewland, trade promotion officer with the New Zealand Meat Board, and wool’s prospects on world markets by Mr G. Bowen, field director of the New Zealand Wool Board. An open forum panel discussion with all speakers taking part will conclude the conference.

Tickets for the conference, costing 12s each, mainly to cover the provision of an evening meal, are available from the secretaries of the branches of Federated Farmers associated with the conference and also from the Department of Agriculture in Rangiora and from the headquarters of North Canterbury Federated Farmers in Armagh Court, Christchurch.