Farmers Seek Funds For Forestry Loans

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 14

Farmers Seek Funds For Forestry Loans

The New Zealand Farm Forestry Association will ask the Government to provide enough funds to ensure that all loan applications which are approved by the Forest Service are granted.

The association last night heard criticism of the Government’s decision last year to cut short funds for forestry development on farms. Members said forestry was a long-term investment and should be backed by a Government policy which was long-term in outlook. With the good returns from forestry in the way of exports, a short-sighted policy was foolish. Members were told that the Treasury had cut short funds for forest development at a time when earnings from trees looked so assured. The association also decided to ask the Government I to consider allowing trees on I farms to be exempted from gift duty. A Southland delegate said that under existing legislation trees which served as shelter belts could be assessed by the Inland Revenue Department and valued so highly that financial difficulties arose for farmers when disposing of their properties. The association also decided to promote the use of the cubic system as the standard

measurement for timber. At present there were several methods of measurement and this was confusing to farmers.