Assistance to entry into farming in New Zealand

Abstract

Apart from the fortunate minority who take over the family farm unhindered by any problems of inheritance, entry into farming poses many difficulties for those wishing to come into the industry. Because of the activities of several agencies, in particular those of the Rural Banking and Finance Corporation, young New Zealanders have much assistance in their efforts to start farming in their own right. This paper examines the various schemes available for this purpose in New Zealand. It is a country so highly dependent on the contribution of agriculture to its national economy that it is almost incumbent on the part of the authorities to facilitate the establishment of the next generation of farmers in order to preserve the country's economic well-being. Whether New Zealand's experience in this activity has any relevance in other parts of the world is a matter for conjecture but the information in this paper should assist in that consideration.