RECIPROCAL TRADE

Chronicle (Levin), 25 June 1946, Page 4

RECIPROCAL TRADE

; ft, — AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND "I am going to suggest the intercliange of farmers between Australia and New Zealand when I get home, to build up the goodwill between the two countries and in so doing help to foster reciproeal trade," said Ho'n. E. H. Graham, New South Wales Minister of Agriculture, -when speakiiig to a Press conference in Palmerston North last eyening. "I want greater co-operation between the two countries, and hope tu see •. Australian farmers visit Massey Colliege and gain the same knowledge as I have today. In turn I -foant to see the farmers of New Zealand visit Aus- , tralia a,nd disenss the varying aspects j of farming in the two countries. " Mr. Graham said that he had visited Massey College and was greatly impressed by the layout and rescarch work carried out. In his ox^nion Massey was more advanced than Australia own leading agricultural college, Hawkesbury which is situated just outside Sydney. He greatly . appreciated the instructive and educative visit to the college, and also expressed appreciation of the way in which he had been treated by the principal, Professor Peren, and the staff. Since lie arrived over a fortnight ago he had been eonducted on a tour of the dairy and sheep industries in all parts of the Dominion, and was greatly impressed by what he had seen. The deeentralisation of the killing industry had"attracted his attention and he considered that New Zealand had more advantages than New South Wales where the killing was carried out at one central depot, entailing mueh railage and loss through depreci.ation. Questioned regarding his purpose in New Zealand, Mr. Graham said that he had been invited by the Government to discuss reciproeal trade betwuen tlie two countries. Australia on her part was striving to fulfill an order from Ne^y Zealand for 50,000 ton§ of wheai, and also for citrus .fruits from the Murrumbidgee irrigation area. New Zealand was to be asked to eontribute to the plan mainly through her export to Australia of small seeds. He had been pleased to see the seed certification plants set up, and a visit to the Seed Testing Station in Palmerston North had convinced him that a high standard of efficiency had been attained. New Zealand needed to increase j her seed export trade to ^ustralia and ! there was ample roOm for improvemwit. The production on the small farms I had impressed him greatly. He had ; noted the prepoudcraAce of Romney l Mars!) and Romney Marsli Cross sheep j in- the North Island, and added that he now knew why New Zealand 3amb was I so Tuueh in d'.ertmnd, when the sljeop ! seen were mostly of a standard size and i type. The South Island farmlands ! were more like Australian farming j e.onditions, than the North Island, ! Crops in Australia- had been very gond in the last year. Although f.lie j year before had been very poor bej eause of the d rough! comiitions, the j last season h ad produced 56,000,000 i bushels of whcaf in New South Wales ' alone. The weather had set fery j dry early this autujpn, but he had hopes j that patehy germiuation wrhich h ad set j in owing to the lack of water, would ; be .remedied by rain. I "J think reciproeal trade wil] come 1 back because Ney Zealand and Ausfral lia are very mjjch bpund together { geographicallv and by their mutpal jn- ' terests in the Pacifie, apd these interests ■ mpst be safeguaj'ded, Ai; present w e I cannot eafi ourselves Anstral.asia be- ; capse wb Are very mnch just Australia i and New Zealand — c.oq! relations," Mr. Graham .concJndcd, ;