Assurance on E.E.C. sheep farming

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 1

Assurance on E.E.C. sheep farming

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, September 18. Britain’s new negotiator with the Common Market, Mr Geoffrey Rippon, said today he did not think New Zealand exports would suffer from a new move to encourage European dairy farmers to switch to sheep farming.

Mr Rippon, making his first visit to New Zealand, said a report that the Common Market Executive Commission wanted to encourage sheep farming indicated that the E.E.C. was prepared to diversify in a realistic way. (Details of the report are given on page 3.)

“I should have thought it would be welcome,” he said. “They have got to turn the dairy farmers into something. "By far the greatest problem for New Zealand is in dairy products. There are not, as far as we can see, such great difficulties for New Zealand in sheep farming. “What we hope will happen is that the consumption of lamb will rise in the community. As the people become more prosperous they will eat more.”

Mr Rippon had an introduction to New Zealand farming today that was far removed from long-established and lush pastures, pedigree flocks and dairy herds and plentiful farm amenities.

On Mr M. T. Burrill’s property at Okiwi, Great Barrier Island, he saw how green acres are still being won from virgin scrubland. The farm was purchased in a derelict state only six years ago. Although the farm covers 12,000 acres—one sixth of the total island—about 8000 acres are so steep and bush-cov-ered that they are not likely l

to be developed in the foreseeable future. Pastures inspected Travelling in a bright yellow Forest Service van, which , also doubles as the island’s school bus, Mr Rippon and his party bumped over dirt roads to see different stages . of pasture development. They also saw a scrubcrushing demonstration by a heavy crawler tractor towing a 6-ton cleated roller. Mr Rippon said he was Im- ' pressed by the efficiency of ; the faun, which has a labour force of only two permanent men and one casual. Mr Burrill, who also farms 800 acres at Papatoetoe, commutes to the island for a few days every fortnight by boat (six hours) or by plane (40 minutes). At present the 1100 acres in grass are running about 3500 sheep and lambs and about 375 cattle. On a cash-flow basis, said Mr Burrill, the farm was breaking even but it would be some time before its profitability could match its development costs. The two hours and a half visit ended with a buffetlunch at the small farmhouse where two black-tie waiters (flown in by the Internal Affairs Department) were in attendance to serve food and drinks. Local crayfish was prominent on the table* but Mr Rippon kept to mutton and ham.

Also in the party were the British High Commissioner (Sir Arthur Galsworthy) and 1 representatives of the De-

partments of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and Agriculture. In the afternoon, Mr Rippon went on a guided tour of the Glenbrook Steel Mill. He later visited a Karaka farm owned by Mr T. R. Ellett, where he showed particular interest in the her-ring-bone milking shed on the 203-acre farm. Mr Rippon was more than an hour late to an informal meeting with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and i other representatives of Auckland’s business community. He had time only to meet some of the members personally, and deliver a short, unrehearsed speech. He covered generally the British Government’s policy on entry to the community, and answered several questions, but he said that he regretted he did not have more time to spend with business representatives to explain the position more fully. From the businessmen’s reception he went to a dinner party at the Hotel South Pacific.