INTRODUCTION TO THE FARMING SCENE IN MID-CANTERBURY

Abstract

MID-CANTERBURY is bounded on the south by the Rangitata River, on the north by the Rakaia River, and stretches from the sea to the Main Divide. The occupied area is 1,300,OOO acres of which 700,000 is improved land comprising the plains and a narrow belt of foothills, while the balance, 600,000 acres, consists of the mountain slopes and inland basins of the high country with a plant cover OF tussock and associated plants. Ignoring the part-time farms, the plain is occupied in approximately 1,500 holdings, giv;ng an average of close to 500 acres, but actual size varies widely with soil type and other factors.