SOUTHERN TOUR BY PARTY OF BAY MAORI FARMERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 52, 2 June 1950, Page 5

SOUTHERN TOUR BY PARTY OF BAY MAORI FARMERS

Farm schools held during the year on the east coast of the Bay of Plenty for Maori members of the Bay of Plenty Province of Federated Farmers had proved an outstanding success, stated Mr E. J. Vosper, secretary-organiser, in his report to the fourth annual conference of the federation. “The Maori Affairs Department has stated that production has increased as a result of the schools wherever they were held,’-’ he added. Mr Vosper said that an itinerary had now been arranged for a conducted tour of North Island districts by a party of Maori farmers. If the tour eventuated it would be the first conducted tour by a party of Maori farmers to be held in New Zealand.

The proposed tour would be undertaken by a party of 35 Maori farmers selected from Cape Runaway to Taneatua. It provided for visits to the Rotorua, Taupo, Manawatu, Taranaki, King Country and Waikato districts.. Selected farms would be visited by the party which would also inspect research stations, ‘ experimental farms, and agi-icultural colleges. The tour would extend over ten days. Visits To Centres Visits would be made to the Grasslands Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Dairy Research Institute, the Government Seed Testing Station and Massey College at Palmerston North; the experimental farm at Marton; and private properties at Levin and Ohau. Farms at Feilding, Wangaehu, Wanganui, Waitotara, Waverley, Whenuakura and Patea would also be visited with Government instructors. At Marton a visit would be made to the experimental farm including demonstration farms at Hawera and Stratford. After leaving New Plymouth, the party would travel to Te Kuiti where farms in the district would be visited before the party continued to Te Awamutu. The Soil Fertility Station at Hamilton and a farm specialising in controlled grazing at Leamington would also be inspected. After a visit to the Ruakura Research Station, the Maori farmers would continue their tour at Matamata and inspect the hydro-electric works at Karapiro and Mangakino. The Whakamaru land development area would be included in their inspections which would terminate with a visit to Whakatane and surrounding districts.