OMAPERE LOSSES REVIEWED

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 28, 27 October 1945, Page 8

OMAPERE LOSSES REVIEWED

Report Of Committee Of Inquiry

SHORTAGE OF STAFF AND EQUIPMENT

The report of the Committee of Inquiry on the stock losses at the Omapere Farm Settlement in Hawke’s Bav was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Lands and Rehabilitation, Mr. SKINNER. The committee stated that the causes which contributed to the difficulties at Omapere were the season, shortage of staff, shortage of equipment, rabbits and want oi telephones. The committee stated that the non-sup-plv of a motor-truck contributed very largely to the difficulties at Omapere. it understood that Government departments experienced great difficulties in securing motor vehicles and yet the supply of these vehicles was essential m large scale land development operations. A telephone would have been of great assistance to. the supervising officers in keepin<- in touch with the farming operations n’t Omapere. Application was made for one but because of certain difficulties regarding the party line uo telephone had yet been installed.

The general policy of stocking Omapere and other blacks had been influenced bv the desire to conform to an accepted thesis that the settlers should takeover their properties with the type and amount of stock conforming to the estimated productive value of their properties. Hence Omapere was stocked with the number and type of ewes to provide the planned production. On many properties this plan would have succeeded but nt Omapere it did not, and may not succeed on other properties that may be developed at a later date. "The fact that not all properties can be stocked immediately iu accordance with the accepted plan should be recognized both by the State and the settlers.” said the committee. -‘Farming cannot be bound by rules —-if there is auy doubt about carrying capacity a proportion of dry stock should be carried that may be hardly treated or disposed of at any time as the occasion warrants.” The committee felt that in the Hawke’s Bay district where dry seasons were uot uncommon that sheep farms must be sufficiently large to return a reasonable income taking both good and poor years together and that 800 ewes for fat la uro production was the minimum flock for country that had a carrying capacity of about two ewes an acre. Laek of staff had hindered development operations, but as soon as sufficient, staff wns available and if the extent of the work warranted it the committee suggested that a land development organization completely equipped should be set up by incorporating the present staff into tne Land Development Branch of the Lands Department, which was successfully functioning in the Auckland district. The committee felt that supervising officers could secure valuable help by discussing their plans of development with a leading farmer in the district and consulting him from time to time on the progress of the work.