Arable farming threatened, says Mr Lange

Press, 28 July 1987, Page 3

Arable farming threatened, says Mr Lange

Political reporter

Arable farming in the South Island is “extremely threatened” according to the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and that is why a subsidy will be paid to farmers.

Mr Lange, speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, was at pains to defend the Government against charges of election bribery.

He said the $25 a tonne payment to wheat farmers had been arrived at through a whole series of negotiations, including consideration by . the Emergency Protection Authority. It reported to the Government last month and settlement had since been reached.

“If anyone here thinks that is an .election bribe they would have to be very very disturbed indeed because even with the $25 the viability of arable farming in the South Island is extremely threatened,” Mr _Lange

told journalists. Even with the payment farmers were not putting in wheat crops, he said.

The Government had acted on the Emergency Protection Authority’s recommendations and these were very sound. “But I can assure you that $8.4 million to an industry which is in deficit beyond that, is not seen by those farmers as a bribe.”

He said the wheat payment and other recently announced grants were made in the normal course of government. Other promises made in recent weeks include a commitment to provide $l9 million towards a new water supply in the highly marginal Labour-held seat of Gisborne.

But Mr Lange asserted yesterday that the National candidate in the seat had promised her party would meet the total $3O million cost of the new scheme.