N.Z. POINT OF VIEW

Press, 4 January 1980, Page 7

N.Z. POINT OF VIEW

Giving a New Zealand view on the address of the Premier of Western Australia, Sir Charles Court, on world food production at the biennial conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, Mr N. W. Taylor, director of the Economic Service of the New Zealand Meat and Wool Boards, commented that the problems of a hungry world would only be solved in the end if they were approached from, an economic stance. “While in the short run there will be a need for welfare and food ajd programmes, this is treating the effect and not the cause of the problem. It is the cause which must be attacked;” said Mr Taylor. The dignity of the indi-. vidua! must be preserved at all cost. The challenge was to find the most effective ways to help the individual. The individual’s latent abilities and the natural resources available to him had to be harnessed, and supplemented where necessary, so that his position nutritionally, economically and socially was improved; Mr Taylor said that he believed that New Zealand’s over-all contribution to world food production was likely to be enhanced by the freeing-up of world trade, in agricultural products. New. Zealand’s motto could well . by “aid by trade." 'lt had a comparative advantage in the production of high quality meat and. daipy products.

New Zealand was able to produce these through a well developed farming system employing low labour and low energy. Considerable expansion of these products was technically feasible within New Zealand, and given reasonable access to world markets and reasonable prices this higher output would also be economic for the New Zealand producer. However, while the agricultural systems of the developed world had the capacity to produce surpluses it was doubtful whether the developing countries with food deficits would have the foreign exchange to purchase their food requirements. So the need for a concerted effort to upgrade their food production

levels in particular was most important New Zealand was already providing considerable technical expertise aimed at encouraging economic growth and self reliance in many of the developing countries of the world, adapting this country’s proven farming techniques and principles to the local situation. Provided the assistance was basically “primary technology” this method offered the greatest prospect for upgrading the food output and incomes of these countries. But the ability of New Zealand and other developed countries to provide this service was heavily dependent on the availability of finance, both nationally and internationally.