Pleased With Way N.Z. Grows Seed

Chronicle (Levin), 14 February 1948, Page 5

Pleased With Way N.Z. Grows Seed

WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. Great admiration for Now Zealand's s.eed certification seheme i>s held by Mr. J. Rowsell, a young English farmer whosfi visit t.o Ihe Dominion was made possible by a Nuffield agricultural travelling scholarsliipl Mr. Rowsell has spent the last few weeks examining. seqd" production methods at Lincoln and Massey Colleges and 'stations operated b.v t-he Depa.rtment of Agriculture. I-lo considers that New Zealfind seeds bred bv the Department of .Scientiiic and Tndustrial Research and handed over to the colleges for further reproductiou before being dist-ributed- to farmers generally, set t-he world's highest export' standard. There were, he said, several local certification srh emes oper- , ating in various paris of Engla.nd but n,otl)ing was d'ono on a national scale. 'The individual farmer was, therefore," oot ou such safe ground as the N'ew Zealandcr who was spared the time and expense of experimenting with his seed Fnited Kingdom farmers fully recognised the high standard of the Dominion 's produce, added Mr. Rowsell. Although tliere was at present an embargo against tlie iiuportaiton of certain seeds, owing to surplus production in England, he thought there would soon. be a large demand for New Zealand ryegrass, particularly the "short. rotation" strain whicli had impressed him j igreatly durijig his visit. On his return ;to England' Mr. Rowsel,l ytill drajw up a- report- to the Nuffield Foundjation which will djstrihute it .to, farming organisations throughout Great- Britain,