Govt 'hindering’ horticulture

Press, 31 March 1981, Page 13

Govt 'hindering’ horticulture

PA Tauranga Inept Government deci sions have hindered development of the horticultural industry, says the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling). ‘’Berryfruit growers have been, upset by the Government’s suggestion that tobacco growers replant their holding with boysenberries or kiwifruit,” he said in Tauranga. “They are having a hard enough time marketing their produce overseas without a further rapid expansion of plantings.” Mr Rowling said that growers felt their markets had been undermined by the Government’s actions. The Government had “clouted” the tobacco industry: it had told the growers to plough up their tobacco when tobacco growing was a highly capi-

talised and specialised job. Changing from tobacco growing to kiwifruit growing could not be achieved overnight: it took eight years for kiwifruit to reach maturity and the growers had to live in the meantime. Horticulture offered promise for the future but it was an area “where we should move with reasonable Jirecision, particularly in reation to market potential.” A Federated Farmers policy statement on how to gain another 50,000 jobs from horticulture and agriculture seemed to be realistic. “Horticulture, even more than pastoral farming, is labour intensive not only in that more people actually work on the land but also servicing, packing, and processing have a high labour content,” said Mr Rowling.