Tour By U.S. Farmers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31579, 17 January 1968, Page 16

Tour By U.S. Farmers

Sixty-one members of the Illinois equivalent of Federated Farmers, the Illinois Agricultural Association, are in Christchurch on a holiday and educational trip to Australia and New Zealand. They will visit Lincoln College this morning.

“Through farm visits we hope to get a better understanding of farmers, and of farming methods and prob-

lerns, where we go,” said the leader of the party, Mr R. E. Will, the assistant secretary of the association. . “The association is the Farm Bureau organisation in Illinois. It is an organisation of farmers who pay annual dues voluntarily to gain representation in the Legislature. It is very like your Federated Farmers and is not a Government organisation.” The association had 193,000 members and was represented at the State (Springfield) and national (Washington, D.C.) capitals. Member, ship was on a family basisone family, one member. “Group members are grain,

beef, pig, and dairy farmers,” he said.

“Illinois rates very highly as an agricultural State. In 1966 it ranked third in the United States in dollars returned from the land, being the fourth livestock and second cash and grain-produc-ing State. It ranked first in maize and soybean production, and second for swine.” Mr Will said tours were arranged each year and usually included special marketing interests as Illinois exported much of its produce. “We have not done so this trip because we are competing with Australia for wheat and beef exports and with New Zealand in dairy production. “Mora and more farmers’ sons tend to go to agricultural colleges and members are interested in comparing Lincoln College with what they know at home,” said Mr Will. “Many farmers’ sons join the farm advisory service, which is like yours.” The group will be in New Zealand until January 20.