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Can-Do Attitude Worth Nurturing

Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By GUT, Werner

FARM VIEW

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AFEW DAYS ago a friend sent me part of a Swiss farming paper in which there was an article by a student of agriculture. He and many other young farmers are greatly disturbed about the coming changes to subsidies, which might leave their family farms hopelessly uneconomic.

Agricultural reforms are deemed neccessary in spite of the fact Switzerland does not belong to the EEC. How to preserve the landscape of green alpine pastures and grazing cows for the tourist industry, without having to subsidise the farmers too much, is a major problem for the Swiss government.

Through a firm that organises overseas study trips, this student found a job on a farm in Canterbury, where he spent several months. At the same time he wanted to study New Zealand farming systems. Much of his time he spent studying all the different types of farming in New Zealand, or just travelling around the country.

He was very enthusiastic about what this country can offer young, fit tourists: little traffic, friendly people, plenty of backpacker hostels, days of wandering in pristine nature and, of course, bungy jumping. It would be interesting to know how many extra people, especially young tourists, will come here as a result of reading this positive article.

Many of his fellow students back in Switzerland are seeking ways to save their family farms, searching for different possibilities to make a profit. Perhaps they hope that they could benefit by copying systems from overseas countries.

This student who came to New Zealand made some very interesting points. New Zealand farmers are farming on a much bigger scale and they can exist with the lower, often unstable prices. He did not think Swiss farmers could copy much, because as much as the climate and the people are alike, he notes that alike does not mean that they are exactly the same. New Zealand's climate is milder, especially the winters.

He observed that besides the fantastic freedom on the big farms in New Zealand, there is also another side to farming here. Rapidly rising land prices are making it near impossible for young farmers to buy land. Too many new restrictions make the farmer's life harder and production more expensive. Too many capitalists are buying land for an investment. Land should belong to the people who work on it and farmers' rights over their land should not be interfered with.

He mentions, however, that there are things that impressed him greatly about Kiwis that he has taken back with him. He likes the relaxed and laid-back, positive manner of New Zealanders. In spite of plenty of problems, those are not always painted black and solutions are always looked for. Everybody is allowed to fail at something without being straight away classed as a loser. Nothing is ever regarded as being impossible to do better.

He says that he will be taking those attributes home with him to Switzerland as his biggest gain from his stay in New Zealand.

It makes you think that perhaps our politicians, who for the past few weeks have indulged in presenting and showing off their own egos, should realise that they might have very good people to govern and guide. They should listen a bit more to them and leave them as much freedom as possible to make New Zealand an example to many more tourists and students from other countries. *

Werner Gut is a Kaponga dairy and beef farmer.

* Is something on the farming scene bugging you? Do you have an opinion or view on a rural issue -- local, national or international? Then Thursday Farmer's Farm View column is your opportunity to air those views and generate some healthy debate. Articles should be 600-800 words long and accompanied by a contact phone number and a brief description of the author. Either e-mail (farming@tnl.co.nz), fax (06 758-6849) or post to Terry Tacon, Farming Editor, PO Box 444, New Plymouth.

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Source: Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand

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