Farm statistics form criticised at meeting

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32665, 22 July 1971, Page 17

Farm statistics form criticised at meeting

Some criticism of a statistics form farmers are required to fill in each year was expressed at a meeting of the executive committee of the agriculture section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers yesterday. Mr K. H. Boyle said there were 226 questions to be answered, and this was no 10-minute job. Some questions apparently did not have to be answered accurately, which made the exercise of doubtful value.

Mr Boyle moved that the forms be sent in duplicate so that farmers could keep a copy for their own records. This motion was carried and will be sent to the provincial executive for consideration. Mr Boyle then moved that farmers should refuse to complete sections 2 and 3 of the form. These deal with farm employment and wages paid, and capital expenditure on farms.

TTiis motion lapsed for want of a seconder, but Mr D. H. Butcher then said that the matter should not be lost sight of. He said that some of the questions in section 2 were ridiculous, and some were impossible to answer properly. Mr Boyle’s motion was then amended to one that the matter be referred to the provincial executive for investigation. This was carried. A motion put by the Ornihi branch aimed at eliminating or reducing nodding thistle seed in certified seed supplies was passed for action by the small seeds committee. The motion was that “lines of seed that do not pass purity tests because of contamination and undesirable weeds should not be offered for sale in New Zealand by any merchant or vendor.”