Aerial topdressing industry will be hit — claim

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 37

Aerial topdressing industry will be hit — claim

PA Dunedin The aerial topdressing industry will be “virtually destroyed” over the next two years because farmers cannot afford to fertilise their land, predicts the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger. Addressing Federated Farmers members in Otago, he said, "What you as farmer producers have to do this year is operate on the basis that a dollar not spent is a dollar earned. Many of you, myself included, will have to adopt bad farming practices to survive. There is no option.”

"I do not believe that with today’s interest rates it is at all possible to borrow to put on fertiliser,” said Mr Bolger. “Fencing has to become something that you walk past and of course repairs and maintenance will

have to be overlooked. “Now I personally have every sympathy for the suppliers in the towns of the goods and services that we traditionally need. I have every sympathy for them, because they are also going to get squeezed — they are also going to be victims of the Government’s economic manipulations. “I mean we are going to virtually destroy the aerial topdressing industry in New Zealand over the next two years and when we want it in the future we are going to struggle to have ; one. "I have no joy in the pain that those who service the farm community are going to suffer in this downturn. I have no joy in this at all, and I can only say they should get up on their hind legs and make their views known very, very strongly.”