Breaking-In Of Land For Efficient Maori Farmers

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 100, 25 September 1950, Page 6

Breaking-In Of Land For Efficient Maori Farmers

To stimulate primary production and to establish more Maoris as fully qualified farmers, the Maori Affairs Department will develop 20,000 acres of land each year for the next 10 years. The annual report of the department, which was presented to Parliament, estimates that 750,000 acres are awaiting development.

The report says experience shows that much of the land which has previously lain idle can be successfully farmed once it has been broken in, sown with a mixture of good quality grass seed, heavily manured in the first two years and con - solidatecl. On large blocks which are now being broken in, contractors with completely mechanised plant are carrying out the work from breaking to sowing. Some idle land is beside efficiently farmed property and these areas are stated to be recognised as a liability to the local bodies for rates and a danger to neighbouring farms because of noxious weeds. Department officers are investigating the titles of these areas and are approaching the owners to get the land into better use.

Development of farm land today for settlement involves costs in excess of the debt which can be carried by the v land on the 1942- basis of valuation, the report says. To ensure that only worthwhile settlers obtain the benefit of this development, grading will operate and training will be made available to selected men to enable them to ob-. tain the necessary qualifications.