Visit belated—M.P.

Press, 8 May 1985, Page 2

Visit belated—M.P.

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

The National Opposition has accused the Government of not showing any concern for the drought in South Canterbury until it had a by-election to fight at Tirnaru.

National’s spokesman on agriculture, Mr lan McLean, said the Opposition had had to prod the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Moyle, to make his belated visit to the drought-stricken area. Now. with a by-election at Tirnaru, the Government had started to show a little more concern, he said. The Government should do five things immediately: 9 Negotiate with meat companies and the Meat Board for a greater kill of ewes.

© Suspend all capital repayments of Rural Bank loans in the drought areas now, for 18 months.

© Instruct the Rural Bank to refinance seasonal debt where this was the only way to hold down interest costs and keep a farmer on the land. ® Defer the increase in

Rural Bank interest rates where fanners could not afford the increase.

© Make sure enough grain was kept within the country for winter feed in drought areas. Further action might be needed later if the drought did not break, Mr McLean said. He said he had never seen farms in New Zealand so badly affected by drought — it was the worst he had seen outside East Africa. From the roadside it was not possible to tell in many cases whether paddocks had been ploughed, were stubble, or had been cultivated. “Mr Moyle has made a commitment that no competent farmer will be forced off the land, and must keep that promise, even if the Government does so only to try to save its Tirnaru seat in Parliament,” Mr McLean said.

Ministry of Agriculture officials in Tirnaru warned in March that South Canterbury farmers faced poor food crops because of the drought, according to papers released by the Leader of the Opposition,

Mr McLay, the Press Association reported. The National Party had obtained the papers under the Official Information Act.

Mr McLay also criticised comments by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, who had told reporters earlier that the drought was grimmer than reports from Ministry officials had suggested. The Cabinet will hold a special meeting today to discuss relief measures. Details will be announced later.

Mr McLay said the papers given to the Opposition showed that the Government had been continually alerted to the situation. Telex reports to the Ministry’s head office in Wellington during March also referred to the drought. One dated March 28 said that 50mm to 70mm of rain was urgently needed and one dated March 7 said that, a farm monitoring study in South Canterbury suggested gross incomes on dryland sheep farms would be down $3 a sheep with costs up $1.60 sheep next season.