TOPICAL SUBJECTS FOR CONFERENCE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31322, 18 March 1967, Page 9

TOPICAL SUBJECTS FOR CONFERENCE

“The programme for the Lincoln College Farmers’ Conference this year includes a range of subjects to meet the current interests and practical problems of South Island farmers. Instead of making a traditional plea for more production, we recognise the present serious situation and the papers will indicate some measures to cushion the effects,” said the chairman of the conference, Mr S. M. Wallace, this week.

The conference will be held from May 17 to 19 and there will be a special programme for dairy farmers, details of which will be published later. “We will start the first day (May 17) with a session on marketing. Wool prices and meat marketing will be the topics for the first morning. The disastrous wool prices this year have placed farmers who are developing their farms in a critical position and so the afternoon session will be devoted to their problems. Professor J. D. Stewart will open up the subject. There will be a paper on control budgeting and this will be followed by panel discussions. Lending agencies will be represented on this panel. “The conference will devote the second day, May 18, to ways of increasing output per labour unit,” said Mr Wallace.

“In the jaws of a cost-price squeeze, one response is to produce more with the same labour force. This does not necessarily mean harder work if farmers use labour saving methods and labour saving machines. Among the speakers there will be Mr A. J. H. Inglis, a farmer of Woodville, and Mr C. J. Crqsbie, of the Department of Agriculture, Christchurch. The field afternoon on the same day will demonstrate labour saving methods and machines. “On the last day the conference will focus on beef production, an alternative to sheep which many farmers are considering expanding now that wool prices are so low. Mr Graham Everitt, of Ruakura, will be one of the speakers.

“To close the conference on a high note and to ensure that there is a balance of technical information which farmers can go home and use, the last three papers will be on stock health. For instance, Dr. R. V. Brunsdon, of Wallaceville, will talk on strategic dosing,” said Mr Wallace. “My committee and I feel that this conference will not only be most enjoyable and interesting, but any farmer who attends will have made a worthwhile investment in time and money,” said Mr Wallace.