Nats affirm farming as N.Z. lifeblood

Press, 27 June 1987, Page 1

Nats affirm farming as N.Z. lifeblood

By

PETER LUKE

in Wellington

Farmers had been kicked in 7 the teeth by the Government, said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, when he announced his/party’s agriculture policy yesterday. : 7 z

The policy affirmed that farming was still the heart of the economy, and promised to restore confidence in agriculture. ; “Our primary goal is to regain profitability and so enable the rural community in New Zealand to stand on its own feet again,” Mr Bolger said. A: number of specific policy initiatives were released, including a farm start scheme for new farmers and a change to the livestock taxation scheme. National has promised also that its economic policy will reduce inflation, lower interestrates, and achieve a more acceptable exchange rate. The labour market will be freed up to permit more costeffective production, processing, and distribution; Education and training policies will be designed to create a more highly trained workforce, increase employment, and allow a reduction in welfare funding.

National has promised, also to remove unwanted protection and through its research and technology policies mhke technological developments available to the agricultural sector, f The policy outlines several ways in which inflation and farm costs will be cut to at least the level of New Zealand main trading partners. •-< These include reducing State spending and public sector borrowing, reducing wharf handling costs through encouraging competition and a reform of waterfront practices, eliminating tariffs on significant farm inputs; replacing import licences with a tariff-based system, and preventing the use of monopoly pricing policies, especially by Government-owned trading concerns. Internationally, National would “re-establish strong links with our allies" to reduce the risk of being excluded from traditional markets.

it would also be a strong advocate for agricultural trade liberalisation and would negotiate bilaterally. Other policy measures released yesterday included: • Continuing the Export Market Development taxation incentive. • Removing restrictive barriers to rural land use and subdivision. • Retaining home delivery of milk. • Giving independence to the Dairy Board in price setting. • Improving the efficiency of the meat Industry. • Recognising the role of women in agriculture as farmers as well as farm partners. For arable farmers National has promised to strengthen antidumping measures against subsidised imports, and to immediately begin negotiating with Australia to ensure that wheat imports do not have an unfair advantage.