MINISTRY ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT

Press, 2 November 1979, Page 9

MINISTRY ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT

The farm advisory >fficer of the Ministry of agriculture and Fisheries nlavs a vital role in all irrn development proposals- n Canterbury by far the bulk of increased agricultural production, over the last 10 years, has occurred as a result of irrigation. This increase in production has occurred bpth in the form of livestock and cropping. ' Livestock increases have been particularly dramatic in the area of the Mor-ven-Glenavy irrigation scheme, while other irrigation schemes (Ashburton - Mndhurst, Mayfield Hinds, Greenstreet, South gakaia and North Rakaia) have seen increases in both stock and crop product ion. However, when looking back over the 1970 s perhaps the major irrigation development has occurred as a result of deep wells on individual farms. This has been particularly so in the areas below the Main South Road in MidCanterbury- and about Dunsandel - Greendale - Kirwee in Central Canterbury. It is estimated that an additional 17,000 hectares has been irrigated from deep wells in Canterbury during the 1970 s for both stock and crop production.

Design of an irrigation system, either within a community scheme or on an individual farm, requires very- careful planning. While engineering factors are very important in this planning they are not the only ones. Other considerations which are

critical are. for instance, farm lay-out in relation to soil type, access, stock movement and shelter. All this information is interpreted and acted upon in

a team approach. This team consists of the farmer, the farm advisory officer and the farm advisory officer (agricultural engineering). The majority of this planning is always earned out on the farm over a period of time. e second stage of irrigation development planning is the drawing up of a development programme, which includes details on the rate of development, land use summaries, stock numbers and of financing the scheme. This programme is usually completed on the farm by the farmer and his farm adviser. Factors which must be taken into consideration in this plan include availability of finance, present and future land use on the property, the availability of labour and contractors and the knowledge and personal inclinations of the farmer. Once an engineering plan and a farm development ,dan have been completed and finance is arranged action starts on the farm. It is here again that our team comes together, consisting of the farmer, the farm advisory officer and the farm advisory officer (agricultural engineering). The team must monitor action. Are things happening as planned? If not why not? Is a new or revised plan necessary as a result of new factors coming to hand. It is at this stage that the farmer really tarts to value field days, seminars and discussion groups he may have attended.

It is always very gratifying as an adviser to visit a farm where successful development has occurred. This has been happening more and more

to myself recently as a higher proportion of the Canterbury plains become irrigated. Over the past year it has been my pleasure to work with about 30 farmers in two of Maurice Batey’s (farm advisoryofficer at Darfield) discussion groups. while Maurice has been on an

advisory exchange visit to Scotland. The large majority of these farmers had installed irrigation systems, based on a deep well as a water source, two or three years ago.

In most cases the farmer and the farm were just starting to show the fruits of successful development. The farmers and their wives had those worry lines removed from their faces, which result from financial strain and long exposure to drought,. The crops on the farm were no longer affected by lack of rain at critical stages, the pastures were filled in betweeen the rows with ryegrass and white clover and the 20 ewes per hectare were big framed sheep rearing 120 per cent of lambs.

The reason I was on these farms was usually because of one of three factors. First, to discuss an irrigation schedule so that crops are drilled in an order which will make the optimum use of the farmer’s most valuable commodity — water. Second. to discuss grazing management, so as to make every extra kilogram of feed grown a winner and to aim for a 150 per cent lambing. And third to discuss ways of making the best use of this new found resource for the farm and farmer — a cash farm surplus.

When I looked back at the history of these farms

with irrigation from these deep wells in central Canterbury, there was a common factor. It is what I call the Crosbie-Batey syndrome. In the initial stages of irrigation development Clem Crosbie and the farmer concerned had been involved in estimating capital costs of irrigation alternatives for the property. Using this information Maurice Batey and the farmer had studied various farm management systems using alternative designs Clem had suggested. The next step was when Maurice and the farmer had studied the economics of each proposition in its fullest detail. No stones were left unturned. Then it appeared that the three, plus the farmer’s wife, sat down round the kitchen table and made some decisions about irrigation. This decision was very personal, as it related to a particular farm and a specific farm family. Perhaps the most critical factor which influences success of any development programme is the installation of the system. Here again the CrosbieBatey syndrome appeared to play" a critical role. Clem seemed to be in the background when the irrigation equipment salesman was about. However, the farmers all tell me Clem was the guy who taught

them the language to speak to the salesman. During well drilling and installation of the system, Clem was never far away with background information for the farmer.

When these irrigation systems had been installed Maurice was on hand to discuss with the farmer the finer points of the farm management system needed. Such questions as feed management, lambing, water o- purchase of store stock all involved critical decisions. On the other hand, many cropping decisions also appeared on the horizon — what to irrigate now with both the peas in flower and the barley in ear? Or when to irrigate the white clover?

As can be seen, many of these questions cannot be solved by one adviser and one farmer. To this end Maurice and Clem have organised two discussion groups for irrigation farmers in the area. These groups have the advantage of many heads bringing new experiences and knowledge to each individual.

The groups meet on an irregular basis about six to eight times per year. They usually meet on an individual farmer’s property and use his farm as a case study discussing first the reasons for decisions. Second, often either Maurice or Clem prepare some material on a specific issue currently

facing the group, far discussion purposes. Third the group often feels there are specialist people about whom they can call upon to discuss an issue — for instance, Roger Stoker, of Winchmore, to discuss the growing of peas, Ken Brown of D.S.I.R. to discuss the growing of grass seed, or Alistair .South (farm advisory officer animal husbandry) to discuss the growing of better twotooth ewes.

However, the group does not always invite a specialist to visit them. They may find it better to visit a research station or a farm in a different district. For instance, an indepth study of a similar farm in Mid-Canterbury may just throw that extra bit of light on a specific problem, or actually seeing Jahn Hayman’s grazing management trials at Winchmore may help to visualise the system recommended.