EX-SERVICEMEN AS POULTRY FARMERS

Grey River Argus, 30 January 1948, Page 3

EX-SERVICEMEN AS POULTRY FARMERS

WELLINGTON, Jan. 28. A slight casing of its restriction on rehabilitation-financed poultry farm establishment has been decided upon by the Rehabilitation Board. This will allow qualified ex-service-men to undertake poultry farming on a part-time basis until the wheat position improves. The board’s previous policy was of ex-servicemen as poultry farmers, with rehabilitation finance to those purchasing or acquiring existing economic runs. This policy still stands, but applies to full-time poultry farming only. Loans may now also be forthcoming for farmlets which will ultimately depend for main source of income on poultry production, but which are capable of producing remunerative sidelines until such time as the wheat position improves and permits of the farmlets being developed to full economic standard as poultry units. The loan limit will be £2OOO for land and house, plus such additional finance as may be required for the capital improvements needed to start opera tions with up to 400 birds. The above decisions were based on recommenda ticns from the board's farms advisory committee, which .stated that there was a number of ex-servicemen who had been awaiting settlement in the poultry field for some considerable time.

Tlie relaxation in policy now agreed uoon should provide the opportunity" for a number of the men who are prepared to combine poultry keeping with cash cropping. and allow them to commence in the near future on their own account. While the present difficult feed position continues, however, the board does not favour financing new propositions which are wholly dependent on poultry for their present income.