The New Zealand Journal of Agriculture was published for 55 years before being handed over to a commercial publishing house, Wilson and Horton. The first of the Government close-downs for economic reasons.

         At its peak, it was sold to 156,000 families. it was a popular magazine for both city readers and for rural people.

         Why so popular?  It contained practical farming, horticulture, farm forestry, and gardening stories.

         In 1941 a strong section was set up for rural women called “The Good Neighbour by Mary” –  Mary was Mary Kitching. It gave rural country women the opportunity to share anecdotes, cooking recipes, and advice. It was a very popular publication. The Department even published a  cookery book.

         After the editor, Roy Owen, was appointed Government Printer, the assistant editor, Gilbert Neale stepped into the role as the new editor.

         Gib. Neale introduced striking full-page photographs for the cover. My late wife, Joyce, once appeared on a cover in her seed scientist role.

         He was a good editor but was an autocratic manager. He could be very abrupt at times. He upset the new Director General, Mr. Webb with his blunt comments.

         One day Mr. Webb had a visit from a journalist who said that any good publisher could produce the Journal of Agriculture far cheaper with half the staff.

         Mr. Webb thought about this for some time before recommending to Brian Talboys, the Minister of Agriculture the Journal should be put out for tender. He agreed.

         Some interesting tenders were received including one from “The Truth” newspaper set out in a sensational style.

         Wilson and Horton in Auckland won the tender and all the Department of Agriculture staff were made redundant.

         The Journal must have been a disappointment to them because they soon sold it off to David Jones, a Wellington publisher, and printer. His company went bankrupt and the receiver sold it off to Deslandes, a printing company owned by the Educational Institute. They in turn sold it off to the Rural Press and each organisation seemed to ‘milk’ it on its road downhill. It ceased publication in 1988.

         This is where I come into the situation. The Department realised they were no longer getting information out to the public so they decided to set up a new section called Information Services. I was asked to head it. I didn’t want the job, nor did I have the skills to run it but I had been trained in management skills so I knew how to delegate.  

         Over time we built up a strong team and had fun doing so. We encouraged visitors and learned much from them. Often a delegation from Federated Farmers would call to work out tactics before going to see the Minister and often the Minister would call in for a cup of tea and a chat.

         After I returned from the USA in 1968 we set up a new concept called AgLinks. These were simple fact sheets.

         I recruited trained journalists with rural backgrounds to produce the latest information on how to solve practical rural problems. I know we produced over 500 most likely nearer a thousand titles.

         When a farmer needed a design for a new cattle yard, or advice on how to eradicate a weed, a pest, or a disease they could request the appropriate AgLink and received the latest information and recommendations. All are written in simple English. As Dr. Clive Dalton called them we produced Google before Google. Ideal publications were suitable for the internet.

         In 1989 when I was working in Asia for UNDP the Information Services section was closed down. The AgLink system ceased; the skilled dedicated staff was disbanded and made redundant and the broadcasting studio was closed. We were in the business of helping to stimulate export earnings – what a sad and shorted-sighted decision.

         Over recent years many bad decisions have been made in New Zealand. We have gone backward. Fancy selling off the Railways, the Post Office Saving Bank. the Government Printer and closing down so many vital Government Departments like Forestry, Agriculture, and the Ministry of Works.

         We must be the only country in the World that doesn’t have an objective free rural extension service. Once we had the best. We have slowed down the uptake of research findings and that can be costly.

         Over recent years there has been a strong shift in government investment into non-export earnings industries, such as tourism, and conservation. The world population is surging and people will always need food.

         To change and to improve are not necessarily the same thing and we have much to learn.

Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)