FARMING AFFAIRS

Chronicle (Levin), 22 June 1946, Page 6

FARMING AFFAIRS

(This coluinn is siipplied by Federated Parmers of N.Z. (Inc.). The informa-' tioii given is offieiai but any views expressed are those of the Federation aud are aot uecessarily those of this newspaper.) Public Reiations ' At the last meeting of_ the Domin.ion Couueil of .Federated ^Farmers, the acticn committee was completely recoirstituted. The former cumbersohie body, originally appointed by the Farmers ' L'jlioii, was disbauded and Messrs. H. L. Blyde (Taranaki), E. J. Harding South. ilawke's Bay), It. G. Buckleton (ALakara-Hutf), TI. J. McL^avey ^Alauawatu), P. P. L. Diilon (Mariuoi'ough) and oue Auckland uleinber, 'were appointed the new authority Avitn power to carry out an intensive public reiations campaign on behalf of the mdustry. A full programme has .since been planned for eariy development. Mr. Ti. Ei Blyde was elected chairman of the committee and will devote a good dcal of his time to the work. , Dairy Farm Film At the last meeting of the action committee authority was given for the production of a uewsreel iilm on dairy larming. It will be photographed locally but processing will probably be ilone iu Australia as the Governmenl iilm studios at MiramaF are unable to cope>with more work. The Iilm wiTl be released through a national chain oi theatres x.uid will depict the realities oi dairy-farm work and life as weli as empnasising the importance of the industry in our national economy. London Conference First air-mail reports of the proceedings at the International Farmers ' Cou lerence in London indicate that oue oa .he major topics of discussion Avas the relationsliip o-f the International Federution of Agriculture to the Food anci agriculture Organisation, of the Uniteo Nations. New Zealand-'s leader, Mr \V. W. Mulholland, avoii an importain t)oint wlien he securcd an amendment tY .ne proposed constitution providing for omptete treedom of action by the i.F.A. Avhich, while giving full co-opera (ion to the F.A.U., reserved full rights jr criticisin. Said Mr. J. K. Knowles Abeat Britain) in support of that idea: ' W'o should advise gOA-ernmental organisations like. F.A.U., make sugges.1011s and recommendations to it and to ihe governmeuts of the Avorld individu 'aily and eoltectively, and if 1 may put .t for oue iu plain i'jiiglish, bring down .o earth the reconunendations and con •nderatious of the technicians in the . ie\v of practical 111011.' ' Land for Servicemen Head office frequontlv receives letters , rom niembei's comphlining of unfair riticism of farmers -for not offering .aud for sale to ex-servicenien. The lact is that in mauy cases a farmer .•annot alford to soli. Supposc, for instance, a dairy i'armer of retiring- age uas a 60-coW; dairy farm free of mortgage iiidebteduess witli stock and plant similariy free. Ile might get £6000 for the sale of it as a going concern. It Lliat amouiit is invested iu Government stock at 3 pef cent. he Avill receiA e an liicome of only £180 per year, reduced by taxation to £162. How thcn cau a farmer alford £0 sell and retire on such a uittance? , •.

Comnii'ssibh1 'on Sheep Farming Provincial ''offices will shortly be askeil by liead office to commence the collection of (lata for presentation to the Koyal Goinmissiou 011 Sheep Farming about to be reconstituted as asked for by the statutory boards and bs Federated Farmers. A representative committee is at present consulting witli the Government concerning personnei liut the maiq tusk, is the preparation oi evidence. liead office in association witli the Meat and Wool Boards Aviji proliably present the national aspecti of the case with provincial executivei dealin"' Avith local uspects.

Potato Board Mooted South lsland growers are uiovihg for the l'onhation of a potato control board with statutory powers and composed of Governmeiit, producer and merchant representativcs. Producer jieisonucl are proposed to be elected by growers having one acre or more under crop. The objeets of the proposed board are to ffx prices and allocate acreages of production. A11 annual levy, 011 a tonnage basis, is proposed to off'set groAvers' liabilities in the event of a surplus and to hold prices at even levels to safeguard consumers. The plau Avas lirst foriuulated by the Waimate Potato Growers' Association and has been a})proved by the Grain, Seed and Produce Mercliants' Association. French Farming Organisations Since the Hiberation of France all vojuntary farming organisations have been uiiiteil iu the Confederation Generale de 1 'Agriculture, its present meinbership, accordiug to details just received at .. head office, comprises 1,700,000 Avorking farmers or farmers managiiig their own businesses, 350 agricultural workers, S000 technicians, I 7500 agricultural co-operative societies, 90 agricultural credit organisations and I 90 agricultural mutual iusurance "socie- | ties.