Agricultural export drive promised

Press, 22 June 1984, Page 3

Agricultural export drive promised

General Election

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington

More processing in New Zealand of agricultural produce and the most aggressive market search and export drive mounted from this country are among Labour’s promises to farmers.

The party’s formal policy has yet to be given but yesterday its leader, Mr Lange, outlined its proposals for the short-term and medium-term development of the rural sector.

Farm-based primary industries would receive a high investment priority under a Labour government because they provided almost 75 per cent of New Zealand’s overseas earnings, he said.

They were, therefore, the logical place to start in

tackling New Zealand’s most serious economic problems — unemplopyment, lack of growth, indebtedness, and falling living standards.

The party’s key objective would be to encourage profitable, market-oriented production processed to the greatest extent possible before export.

“New Zealand must end its colonial attitude towards exporting jobs and value. We need both here,” Mr Lange said. Such development would require more than innovative ideas, more than a willing administration and workforce, more than efficiency. There must also be active consultation to achieve agreed ends between the government and the industry. Mr Lange said that the first critical step in the recovery Labour

planned was to restore sound economic management through the adoption of a three-year to five-year perspective. This would have particular significance for the farming sector “wracked with the uncertainty of ad hoc and short-term decisions, rising costs, and static or falling real incomes,” he said.

The party would protect farmers from fluctuations in earnings by retaining the income-smoothing schemes developed by the third Labour government. Specific proposals set out in the paper include:— • An up-dated land purchase, development and settlement scheme to encourage more farmers on to the land. 9 Additional assistance for farm development particularly where substantial benefits would result.

• Productive irrigation schemes especially where the return to the region and the nation would be high.

• Consultation between the government, producer boards and the private sector to develop value-added industry plans. 9 Use of “every international forum to fight against agricultural potectionism.”

This would be accompanied by an export drive directed not only at New Zealand’s traditional European markets but also at the Pacific rim and Asia, the growth economies of the world.

The financial and advisory services provided by the Rural Bank would be extended and in areas of proved need, a new range of approved farm development schemes providing additional fertiliser and lime subsidies, and pest-killing and weed-killing assistance would be implemented.

Farm workers in the beef and sheep sector would be helped on to their own land by the creation of a number of alternative contractual arrangements for partnerships along the lines of those already available in dairying. Agro-forestry would be encouraged as the best chance of diversifying in much of New Zealand’s hill country as would horticulture for its high returns.