Rural concern day call

Press, 12 June 1986, Page 11

Rural concern day call

PA Timaru A national day of rural concern and prayer for New Zealand farmers facing economic hard times has been suggested by the Dominion president of Federated Farmers, Mr Peter Elworthy. He raised the topic at the Waimate County Council’s recent monthly meeting. Mr Elworthy also called for the sunoort of Church leaders and the community for the national day. He envisaged Church leaders would hold services on the day. There

would also be community activities related to the farming crisis. Mr Elworthy said farmers had reached the “bottom of the trough” and were facing the darkness before the dawn. Pressures on interest rates and exchange rates and the movement of pressure to other sections would mean farmers’ fortunes would start to to lift, he said. He suggested that 20,000 farmers in the meat, wool and arable sectors of farming would have substantial cash flow problems this winter, and

“if you add dairy farmers to that number you are looking at a figure of perhaps 30,000 farmers in difficulties.”

Cocaine catch Bolivian police have seized more than half a tonne of cocaine paste, worth about SUSISO,OOO ($NZ270,000), in a raid on an airstrip in the central province of Cochabamba. Police of the United States-funded “Leopards” anti-narcotics force discovered the 592 kg of paste aboard a light aircraft. — La Paz.