The impact of falling prices on Taranaki hill-country development
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Authors
Date
1967
Type
Monograph
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Fields of Research
Abstract
The Agricultural Economics Research Unit has, over the
last three years, published a number of studies relating to
hill country development in New Zealand. A further stage
in this continuing investigation of development economics, was
initiated with a research project in the Taranaki area on
which this publication reports. The project commenced in December 1966 when it was
proposed that fifteen farm development programmes should be
investigated in detail, and that fairly reliable estimates
of the level of profitability in such steep hill country would
be determined. However, downward changes in coarse wool
prices rendered most of the early field work on the project
obsolete, as the farmers concerned rapidly adjusted their
development plans to the new situation.
The aims of the project were therefore re-cast in terms
of the changing situation and it was decided to concentrate
attention on the adjustment process itself. Time permitted
four of the original farms to be revisited in October 1967,
and this report is mainly based on this latter work. The
early field work is referred to in appropriate places, and
is summarised at the end of the report.