Thai studying farm management in N.Z.

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 14

Thai studying farm management in N.Z.

Visiting Canterbury during a seven-month stay in New Zealand under the Colombo Plan is Mr Sinchai Jeawtamai, a technician with the Department of Land Development in Thailand.

Mr Jeawtamai is observing farm management in New Zealand, particularly in regard to pasture and beef production.

In Thailand he works at a pasture demonstration centre at Borabue, about 270 miles from Bangkok in the northeastern part of the country, A New Zealand agricultural scientist, Mr C. McLeod, of the Department of Agriculture, at Timaru, is now working at the centre. The aim of the centre is to encourage farmers to grow grass on their properties to feed their cattle. Mr Jeawtamai said that the average size of holdings was about 40 acres, and farmers grew crops year in and year out, with kenaf for jute production being grown on the higher ground and rice on the lowlands. During the growing period of crops their cattle were grazed ; on the poor grass > n the forests and in the dry summer period animals could lose 401 b in weight. The aim is to introduce some pasture growing into the rotation on the farmers’

holdings to improve cattle nutrition and also to improve fertility and help hold moisture on country that has a fairly steep slope. There is a four-month rainy season in this part of the country, when about 47 inches of rain fall, and then there is an eight-month dry period. Mr Jeawtamai supervises the running of about 200 head of cattle at the centre where he works. The cattle are mainly Crossbreds from the native strain and American Brahmans. He says that the climate is too hot for British breeds, such as the Angus and the Hereford.

With only a rudimentary knowledge of English, he had to study the language for three months in Wellington when he arrived in New Zealand. Since early last month he has been in the South Island, and during that time he has spent a period at the Telford farm training institute at Balclutha.