Farm qualifications

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 26

Farm qualifications

PA Wellington Too many farmers, seeking Lands and Survey Department settlement assistance are not suitably qualified, according to the department in its annual report, tabled in Parliament. It was a matter of concern that in spite of extensive publicity in the last few years many applicants still had not obtained the educational training qualification, it said. The number of applications for exemptions from this qualification had doubled last year to 112. To ■ qualify for a departmental land-settlement ballot a farmer' must have either an appropriate degree or

diploma from Massey . University! or Lincoln College and have subsequently completed two years full-time farm work, or must hold a trade certificate in . farm management, a prerequisite for which is five years fulltime farming. Candidates are also elis gible if they have had five years full-time farming experience and have completed two two-week courses in each of two years in basic husbandries and farm management at. an agricultural institution such as Flock House, at Bulls. The department said there was opposition by farmers to the educational quali-

fications required fo.r settlement assistance. The - Government caucus committee on agriculture was reviewing this aspect of settlement policy and would make recommendations to the Government next year.

The department last year had increased the number of properties available for settlement by 12 to 60 and planned to maintain this annual settlement level. However, an improvement in the economics of farming in the last year had resulted in the availability of fewer properties suitable for quick settlement. ■. ..