MARKET GARDENING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 25, 20 November 1945, Page 5

MARKET GARDENING

SCOPE FOR EX-SERVICEMEN LIMITED

BOARD'S POLICY

On the recommendation of its Farms Advisory the Re-< habilitation Board at a recent meeting agreed to con line ifie settlement; of ex-servicemen as market garden-* ers to the purchase of existing economic units which arc approved for tliis purpose by the Department of Agriculture. Exceptions'would b» made in special circumstances sucH as proximity to canning factories.

It was also decided that' the Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners l>e. asked to co-operate in. having satisfactory units available for sale placed under offer to ex-i servicemen. A further decision was made that no totally inexperienced men should from now on be accepted for training In market gardening.

The decision arose as a result of a recent conference between repre-' sentatives of the growers, the Department of Agriculture the Internal Marketing Division and the Rehabili-' tation Department when the train- • ing and settlement of ex-servicemen. *, as market gardeners were fully dis-<-•cussed. It was stated that as a result of the war ending in the Pacific the exportj demand far vegetables would slacken rapidly.

The representative of the growers said that it seemed logical to t con- . fine future ex-servicemen settlement to the purchase of existing holdings. It would be most he to settle men on new land without a thorough survey of the: industry. This view was shared by the Department of Agriculture representative. ;