INTEREST IN SHEEP FARMING IN CHINA

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 10

INTEREST IN SHEEP FARMING IN CHINA

Sheep farming is the major interest of a mainly North Canterbury party, which will leave Christchurch at the end of next week to spend 18 days in the People's Republic of China.

The motivating force behind the visit has been Mr F. J. (Jack) Bain, of Waipara, who visited China in 1976. According to Mr A. I. (Allan) Bilbrough, a senior field officer in the Lincoln College farm advisory' service who will be tour leader, Mr Bain decided that he would like to return to visit some of the sheep raising areas

believing that there may be possibilities of using New Zealand management expertise in these areas and also New Zealand sheep. There are already some New Zealand sheep in the country — in particular Corriedales and Dorset Downs. Mr Bain invited Mr Bilbrough to lead the party. He is not new to this role having already led two parties to Australia, in one of which Mr Bain was a member. Mr Bilbrough has also been in the East having spent a year as an extension officer with the New

Zealand-South Korea beef project in South Korea. The group that is to visit China is drawn from areas including Waipara and Amberley to Waiau. In the course of their stay in China they will visit areas which are well off the normal travel routes. They will go to Inner Mongolia, with its capita] Huhehot, where there is both a sheep and wool industry, and Lanchow which is at 1600 m (5200 ft and in a pastoral area. The party will also visit Canton, Peking, Kweilin and Shanghai before

returning again to Canton. During the trip, which is regarded as a goodwill one, every opportunity will also be taken to publicise and promote New Zealand.