FARMING AFFAIRS

Chronicle (Levin), 3 May 1947, Page 3

FARMING AFFAIRS

This column is^supplie'd 'weekly by Pederated Earmers ot N.Z. The information given is official but any views expressed are those jof the Eederation and are not necessarily tliose of this newspaper. . Seed Testing Station. South Island members of Fe'derated Farmers.sh.ow no signs of easing their pressure on the Govefhment for the eS tablishment of a seed-testing station in their island. The Council of the agriculture section recently asked the *Min ister for an early decision on the matter and urged him to have the testing of samples speeded up. In his reply the Minister of .Agriculture has advised the Federation that it was not yet possible to make a final decision on the matter. Any decision to egtablish a South Island station now, would cause a further deterioration in the efficiency of the present seed-test-ing service. Present efforts -were being concentrated on improving the service given by the station' at Palmerston. North. Considerable iniprovements had already been made and the laboratory personnel had been increased by 50 per cent. In consequenee the-delay which occurred last year in; testing samples was now almost eliminated. Facilities were now available to under take 1000 purity and 900 germination tests every week and with the arrival of new seed germinators from overseas it would be possible to increase the weekly throughput of germination tests to 1300. It was the delayed suppiy of that essential equipment, plus difficulties of staffing and accommodation which mainlv precluded the establishment of a permanent station in the South Island at present. Therefore the Minister felt sure that his department had adopted the right policy of improving the facilities at Palmerston North. There had been, he concluded, two temporary stations operating in the South Island for nearlv three months for the urgent testing of pre-harvest samples of r'yegrass seed to determine the degree of infec'tion with blind seed disease. It was expected that stations would again be establislied for the same purpose next season. Meat Act. " *• Does the Government propose • to amend the Meat Act and alter the powers of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board? llpom a letter received from the Minister. of Agriculture that appears possible. , The Council of the meat and wool section recently asked tlie Minister to give the Meat Board powers to control the local marketing, of meat and all internaL. rpatters XTegarding the meat trade. The subjeet matter of that resolution, wrote Mr. Cullen, would be "borne in mind for consideration when the Act by which the Meat Producers' Board was established is under review for amendment." Sheep Industry Commission. The appointment of the Boyal Commission on sheepfarming, as. promised by the Government prior to the election last year, would be announced at an early date. The commencement of the inquiry would not, therefore, be long delayed, wrote the Minister of Agriculture to Federated Farniers last week. Poor Quality Brushware. The dairy section council recently passed on to the Minister of Industries and Commerce complaints regarding the present poor quality of brushware. Bepresentatious for. an improvement have now been passed on to the Standards Institute, says the Minister in reply, and the Institute has been directed to' exainine the complaints. A committee is then likely to be ' set up and to formulate standard specilications incorporating the requirements to which thc various types and classes of brushware should conform if they are to give satisfactory service. That would provide a basis for the use of the standard mark as a reliable certification of quality and utility.