FIGHTING FOR RECOGNITION

Press, 15 August 1980, Page 8

FIGHTING FOR RECOGNITION

To- obtain recognition for the arable (cropping) industry “from our political masters” was still the major task facing the agriculture section of Federated Farmers, its Dominion chairman, Mr N. Q. Wright, told a function in Christchurch last week at which awards in the national barley grower of the year contest were presented. f “That we continue to have to justify our right to exist seems incredible,” he said. i ; Comments of influential people in Government dei partments suggesting that the industry should be < wound down should be challenged, he said. Should the industry become redundant there would be a tremendous es-

calation in the consumer price index for food products. “And one must ask the question — what would happen to our pastoral farmers? Would seeds and clovers have to be imported?” In the five years from 1973 to 1978 Mr Wright said that the arable and horticulture sectors showed an annual growth of 16 per cent compared with 10.8 per cent for the pastoral industry. Yet in contrast to the pastoral and horticultural producer, the arable producer received no incentives for increased production. Mr Wright said that there was an opportunity for market expansion. They should be looking further than just produc-

tion for local requirements and risking the justifiable charge that any disposal of surplus production was dumping. Export opportu-' nities included small seeds in South America, grain in the Pacific Basin and vegetable products in Japan.