Agricultural Pattern Steady

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 1

Agricultural Pattern Steady

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 12. The Agricultural Production Council believes that in spite of the serious economic situation there are too many uncertainties to justify major changes in the present pattern of agricultural production.

Releasing a guide to future policy, the Minister 6f Agriculture and chairman of the

council (Mr Taiboys) said: “It would be unrealistic to pretend that the present situation is other than serious.

“At the same time the council does not think the situation justifies the panic type of statement frequently appearing,” he said. Commenting that farmers were asking whether the council should still be aiming at 3.5 per cent annual increase in stock numbers, Mr Taiboys' said they were asking, too, whether more emphasis should be placed on some products and less on others.

"Though the council thinks that after the very high stock increases over the last two years there will for technical reasons be a period of consolidation, it believes that achievement of the production targets set by the agri-

cultural development conference remains of fundamental importance to New Zealand’s economic growth. “The right policy is to press on with the things we can do so well,” said the Minister.

“The basis for our development in the foreseeable future will still be in increasing farm production,” Mr Taiboys said. “The council is pleased with the Government's assurance that no credit-worthy farmer should be hampered by lack of finance in carrying out a soundly-based development programme,” he said. The Minister added: “We knew when the targets were approved by the conference and subsequently by the Government, that there could be periods of market adversity.”