N.Z. “Guest Nation” At Orange

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31832, 9 November 1968, Page 11

N.Z. “Guest Nation” At Orange

New Zealand ingenuity and skill in farming will be in evidence at the Australian National Field Days at Orange in New South Wales this month.

New Zealand will be “guest nation” exhibitor at the field days from November 18 to 21, and toe New Zealand display will emphasise scientific farming. In addition, 26 New Zealand firms will exhibit at the field days, many for the first time. One of toe main items of interest in the New Zealand exhibits could be two Fletcher turbo-prop aircraft, one for use as a topdresser or sprayer and toe other as a utility cargo-passenger air-

craft Both have been designed and built in New Zealand and have a 70 per cent New Zealand content Vying with them will be a “Trekka” farm vehicle, the result of a joint New Zea-land-Skoda venture to make a rugged four-wheeled machine that can be used as a passenger conveyance and also as a mechanical workhorse.

Other firms will display equipment ranging from wirestrainers, post-hole diggers, incubators, and disc harrows, to hydraulic weighing platforms, the first of their kind in the world. The weighing platforms can measure up to 20001 b at a fraction of the cost of a conventional weighing machine. More than 300 of these are in use in New Zealand and more than 200 have been exported to Australia and South Africa.

The total area for the New Zealand Government and private exhibits will be 28,800 sq. ft As a centre-piece there will be the 3232 sq. ft Behlen Building, in which the New Zealand Government will have a photographic display that will show the country's contribution to “scientific farming.” The photographic display will be made up of 29 panels (10 double-sided) set up in seven separate bays. Two representatives from the New Zealand Department of Agriculture will man the agricultural exhibit and will answer farming questions. The field days will be officially opened by the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr J. L. Hazlett, on Tuesday, November 19.