Sheep airlift advances the P.G.G.-Hungarian connection

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 22

Sheep airlift advances the P.G.G.-Hungarian connection

The air-freighting from Christchurch last week of more than 1200 sheep drew attention to a project in Hungary which seems set to result in further export opportunities for New Zealand agrobusiness. The 600 Romney and 600 Corriedale ewe lambs and 16 rams of each breed arrived safely one day later on two State farms in Western Hungary where New Zealand expertise is playing a key role in a pastoral and livestock improvement project. The project is a pilot programme designed to refine techniques which could later be applied to extensive areas of Hungarian grazing land with two main objectives: ® To release, for intensive arable production, land which is currently used for production of fodder for housed livestock. • To improve the productivity of sheep and cattle on pasture in Hungary. Supplying New Zealand sheep and land management expertise, and the recent shipment of sheep, is the Canterbury stock and station company, Pyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd. The export director of Pyne’s, Mr John Paterson, says the company was approached some years ago by the Hungarians, with whom the company had long dealt in the international seed trade. Hungary has always been an important producer of quality agricultural and vegetable seeds and he says its arable fanning has been developed to a very high level. It is the world’s largest producer of hybrid maize seed for export. "They are keen to expand their arable exports and one way of achieving this is to improve the productivity of existing pasture land. They recognise New Zealand’s ability in this field,” says Mr Paterson. “After several visits to Hungary, we were asked to put up a proposal for a livestock and pastoral improvement programme.” An agreement was signed in 1984 between Pyne’s and the company which handles all Hungarian foreign seed trading, the Hungaroseed Foreign Trade Company, under which the Canterbury company would provide advice and other inputs

for a pilot project on two State farms in Hungary. The farms are the 22,000 ha Lajta-Hansagi State Farm at Mosonmagyarrovar which is very near the Austrian border, and the 18,800 ha Mezofalva, 100 kilometres from the capital, Budapest. Hungary has about 120 State farms, averaging 7644 ha. Mr Paterson says some employ up to 2000 people, accommodated in several villages on the farm. Employees include all specialists required to service the various enterprises run by the farms — agronomists, engineers, veterinarians, livestock (experts and many other .professional, technical and labouring groups. Pyne’s sent two New Zealand farm managers and their families to each of the two State farms for between 18 months and three years. The managers are Messrs Peter Wardell of Mount Dasher Station in North Otago, John Macaskill of Hawarden, Norman Hewitt of Cheviot and Bob Simpson, former manager of Lincoln College’s Ashley Dene sheep farm. Mr Wardell is returning to New Zealand nextmonth and he will be replaced by Mr Peter Hormann of Mid-Canter-bury. Mr Paterson says Peter Wardell, the senior appointee, achieved a very close working relationship with the Hungarian authorities in Budapest and on the State farms and will be involved in the project in the future. The managers’ brief is to assist State farm staff with the introduction of new pasture species, rotational grazing, electric fencing and other techniques, with a view to increasing the productivity of the land and the sheep grazing it. About 500 ha are involved on each property. The project technical director, Sir James Stewart, who is a director of Pyne’s and the former principal of Lincoln College, says the managers have so far done well. “They each have a strong practical and theoretical foundation and they have demonstrated their ability to wrestle with new and fundamental problems, while at the same time impressing the Hungarians with their practical and management skills.” Despite the fact that

Hungarian is a very difficult language for Englishspeaking peoples, the families have settled in well, with the children attending local kindergartens and schools. New Zealand livestock and pasture species, too, are being introduced. In April last year, 500 Romneys and Corriedales were flown from New Zealand to form two nucleus flocks. Last week’s shipment will boost these flocks. Quantities of New Zealand seed —annual grasses, white clover, brassicas for fodder and other species — have been sent to the farms for evaluation. The sheep were drawn from commercial flocks throughout Canterbury and Marlborough, selected by Pyne’s stud stock manager, Mr David Cassells, and several Hungarian experts who came to New Zealand for the selection. The idea is to develop the local breeds with infusions of New Zealand bloodlines, though Mr Paterson says there are possibly long-term opportunities for New Zealand stud sheep breeders also. "Traditionally, livestock have been housed for most of the year in large sheds. One of the aims of the projects is to extend the period of time in which the sheep remain outdoors,” says Sir James. The Hungarian climate is typical continental temperate, characterised by long severe winters and hot summers. In the first winter of operation, he says it has been found that the New Zealand Corriedales and Romneys can be successfully wintered outside, despite consistent snow. The winter foraging abilities appear to have been bred out of the German mutton Merinos farmed in Hungary. Sir James visits the State farms every six months to monitor progress but not all the travel connected with the project has been one way. Last spring, Pyne, Gould, Guinness hosted six Hungarian technicians in New Zealand. They spent 10 weeks working on farms and research stations, learning more about the New Zealand approach. The project has created a lot of interest inside Hungary and the farms were recently visited by

the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture. Sir James says it is not always easy taking New Zealand pastoral technology and applying it in other environments, but no particular difficulties have been encountered with this project “I have been associated with livestock and pastoral developments in a number of countries, all of which present some impediments to the translation of New Zealand expertise. They may be climatic, topographical, bureaucratic or social. “It all hasn’t been plain sailing in Hungary — we had to spend time learning to work with each other and to understand the State Farm structure. But, in the short time we’ve been there, encouraging progress has been made and New Zealand’s interests and reputation are undoubtedly being enhanced.” The director in charge of Hungaroseed, Dr Tamas Takatsy, also recently expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project, referred to its successful establishment and to plans to extend the Hungaroseed-P.G.G. relationship to other parts of Hungary — and even to parts beyond Hungary’s borders. He said it was “... soon obvious that the New Zealand experts working in Hungary would be able to reach the desired targets,” and that the work was of great importance. "After the completion of the programme, its extension to other areas will be undertaken jointly with Pyne, Gould, Guinness, and without doubt this will be one of the most important agricultural programmes in the next

few years,” said Dr Takatsy. "It is likely that techniques developed by this programme can be applied in several other countries of Eastern Europe. The co-operation in between Pyne’s and Hun- D garoseed could well be- “ come an international programme.” ? Mr Paterson agrees that ' these comments would appear to represent exciting 2 export opportunities for - New Zealand sheep breeders and farm input ... manufacturers. "

But he says success like this is not achieved with- » out the helpful co-opera- 2 tion of many people. In " particular, Mr Paterson singles out Dr Takatsy, a « senior Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture official, Dr ’(■ Istvaan Kovaacs, officials ‘ of AGKER KFT (the Ministry of Agriculture section responsible for tech-4£ nblogy transfer), State " farm directors and New Zealand’s Vienna-based ■" Ambassador for to Hun- C gary, Mr Don Walker. "Everybody has been ’- extremely keen to see the project go ahead and has 7 lent every possible assistance. this also gives us t tremendous confidence in ? the future of this project,” 2 says Mr Paterson. i-