FARM FINANCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 November 1939, Page 7

FARM FINANCE

NEW ATTITUDE URGED

DECLINE IN FERTILITY OF LAND. READJUSTMENTS NECESSARY. A readjustment of the attitude of the community toward farm financing to cheek deterioration and increase production was advocated by Dr IVI. M. Burns, of Canterbury Agricultural College Lincoln, at the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmland Association. He advocated a substantial extension of long-term financing, and more detailed control by mortgagee or landlord of the cropping and grazing practises of occupiers of land. “Since we have now reached the Stage of intensive agriculture it is necessary to adopt methods which maintain the productive capacty ol the soil.” said Dr Burns. “The full realisation of this fact can only come from .a development of a changed attitude towards the cropping land, not only by many of -those

actively farming, but also by the public generally as represented by /those with financial interests in and associated with the land.”

He suggested the adoption of longterm farm finance, preferably of the table variety, to make possible the adoption of long-term farming methods. This might also include arrangements whereby liquid capital required by the farmer in years of low net returns could be made available. Revision and alteration in the covenants of mortgages and the terms of leases should include clauses requiring: (a) Restriction on the percentage ol ploughable land that may be devoted to white straw crops in any one year, and the frequency of these crops on any area.

(b) Insistence upon the sowing each, year of a minimum percentage of the farm in first-class pasture, established on an adequately fallowed seed-bed the seed mixture to include specified minimum quantities of certified strains of clovers.

(c) Insistence upon the use of a minimum tonnage of lime and fertiliser for top-dressing of pastures anti for sowing with all crops and pastures It would be important that the occupier who fulfilled the conditions of such a mortgage or lease should bt assured of continuity of tenure.

RECOGNITION FOR FARMER. A greater recognition should b( given the farmer who maintained o. raised the productivity of his holding by making adjustments in the valua-

tion for renewal of leases and for purposes of assessing rates and land tax From a national point of view consideration might have to be given tr allowing charges for the maintenanceof fertility to take precedence ovei all expenditure of the farm income except that necessary to provide i reasonable income for the farmer and his employees. In certain areas where farm units were small and deterioration had proceeded to a point where restorative measures were beyond the capacity of individual farmers, the State might take over such areas, and plan their restoration as national enterprises.

"The deterioration of the productivity of our cropping land is a subjec of great variety and complexity wrapped up with the whole problem of farm finance and land utilisation' said Dr Burns. "It is a problem which has steadily developed to a stage when it must be faced methodically am: thoroughly, and it must be made cleai that no lime can be wasted befow

tackling this problem so fundamenta, to the common welfare. The farming practices by which the deterioration o: cropping land may be prevented ar. well and widely known. They are noeven of recent development for thesi same practices have been used extern sively throughout the world ever since the time of the Romans, and where they have been soundly executed thee have solved the problem of maintaining soils in as tortile a condition athe material and environment at hand would permit.

PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE. "That the farmers on the cropping lands of this country have the ability to put such practices into operation cannot be questioned what is necessary is the introduction of such protection and assistance as will enable them to combine grassland farming with arable farming, so that the producing capacity of their farms is maintained eleven increased.

"I have endeavoured to bring forward some suggestions which may

perhaps be of assistance in this direction. I have presented them not necessarily because they represent or even include my own views, but because I feel that they will serve as a basis for discussion on this problem of deterioration in the cropping land--a problem that is of fundamental importance to everyone, for in a country such as ours, it can be safely said that the welfare of everyone, whether en-j gaged in industry business, labour, or agriculture is dependent on the main-i tenance of the productivity of our) land." j