Rural emphasis on visit from Chinese Vice-Premier

Press, 12 September 1986, Page 18

Rural emphasis on visit from Chinese Vice-Premier

An intensive week-long. tour by the Chinese Vice- ’ Premier, Mr Wan Li, will ’ cover a broad cross sec-. tion of New Zealand’s ’ primary production industries. The Vice-Premier and an entourage of 40 will fly i into Christchurch from Melbourne on Saturday to begin the tour with an inspection of a Banks Peninsula sheep and goat; farm the following day.; . Chinese wool is being blended with New Zealand wool in a joint project at the Wool Rearch Institute of New Zealand and Mr Wan will see the operation next Monday. t A tour of the W.R.O.N.Z. pilot wool scour and ja textile processing plant will precede an inspection i of lean lamb production at the Canterbury AgrigUltural Science Centre farmlet New pasture plant cultivars with the potential to boost animal production are being tested on the farm in a joint M.A.F. and D.S.I.R. research operation. A display by the M.A.F. will highlight work to decrease fat and increase the protein content of lamb meat. Breeding programmes

involving Corriedale sheep, deer and goats will be displayed at Lincoln College where Mr Wan will meet Chinese masters students before touring the campus. Mr Wan will fly to Wellington later in the day in preparation for a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, on Tuesday. The following day the Vice-Premier is back on the road for an extensive tour of North Island research facilities including the Forest Research Institute, Whakarewarewa and the Tikitere Agroforestry Research Farm. The dairy industry will be highlighted during a tour of Ruakura Animal Research Centre on Thursday where dairy husbandry systems will be outlined. The Dairy Board’s Animal Breeding Centre at Newstead is included on the itinerary before the party reaches the Whatawhata Hill Country Research Station. There an aerial top dressing display will be part of a session on grazing management of sheep, cattle and goats. On the Friday the party is hosted by the D.S.I.R. in

Auckland where displays will cover biological control of insects, handling and storage of fruit and vegetables. New Zealand's role in transport and quarantine of Pacific crops, insect

rearing and horticulture research will be explained before a visit to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater Sea World. . r < The Vice-Premier will leave for Beijing on Saturday, September 20.