Pastoral farming safe?

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 2

Pastoral farming safe?

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

No possibility can be seen of any other type of pursuit replacing pastoral farming as New Zealand’s principal export income earner, according to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Moyle. He told the annual Agricultural Field Days dinner in Hamilton that this was the case in spite of suggestions to the contrary. There was no question

that farming was going through a recession, possibly the worst for 50 years, he said. First the meat industry and now the dairy industry had had to face the hard truth that prices for much of their produce were uneconomic. New Zealand had to fight back, he said. In a deep depression the only way to go was up, but the steepness of the slope was the deterrent and it might

be too steep for some to climb in their weakened condition. But although market prospects in the shortterm for meat and dairy products were not good, there were good reasons to believe the situation was going to improve, he said. This might be slow over the next one dr two seasons, but would be significant three to five years out.