Peruvian farm men visit N.Z.

Press, 22 February 1978, Page 6

Peruvian farm men visit N.Z.

New Zealand is helping to improve animal nutrition and the life of people in the highaltitude southern region of Peru known as Puno, which rises to about 4600 m (15,000 ft Mr Marciano MoralesBermudez, Vice-Minister of Food of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in Peru, who is visiting New Zealand at the invitation of the Government, said in . Christchurch yesterday that the special project with New Zealand — a bilateral aid project — was giving Peruvians confidence about what could i be done in the future. Judging bv what farmers I had been able to do in this country, he said he believed that it would be possible to also increase output in the Puno area. The man who was the first leader of the team working on the project in Peru, Mr B. G. Koller, who has accom[panied the Vice-Minister on his visit, said that the tussock-covered area closely resembled the Mackenzie Country. Because 85 per cent of its production came from agri-

culture the only way to help the people of the area was through agriculture: basically through improving the nutrition of its livestock, said Mr Koller. The area, he said included 5M hectares, of which about 0.5 M hectares was flat, and had a population of 5M sheep, 0.5 M cattle, and IM people. About half the country was in the hands of about 300,000 peasant farmers with properties ranging down to less than o.2ha and producing just enough food to feed their families. The sheep were mainly Corriedales and sheep of that breed had been brought to the countrv from New Zealand over the years. Mr Koller, who is now senior farm advisory officer with the Ministry of Agriculture at Rotorua, said that the development of farming in Puno basically involved a transfer of technology. One of the problems of the region is that there is a six-month dry period, and 575 mm of the'7oomm annual rainfall falls in about three months. Mr Morales-Bermudez

said that the Peruvians were therefore interested in developing pasture that would grow in the dry period, and grow the maximum amount of herbage possible in the wet period for conservation as hay and silage. ’ Mr Koller said that the system being introduced involved growing lucerne wherever it would grow. Turnips also grew Very well, providing food for people as well as animals. Where there was irrigation he said that white clover-ryegrass pastures could be grown, to be grazed mainly by dairy cows. When they went to the area about three years and a half ago he said that there would not have been more than five hectares of improved pasture. Now there were 3000 ha of lucerne and ryegrass-white clover pastures. By better feeding, production from existing animals . could easily be doubled. Mr Morales-Bermudez has met officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Trade and Industry, and also representatives of the Meat and Dairy Boards. He has visited farms, freezing works, and research institutions.