ALONG the west coast of the southern part of the North Island from Paekakariki in the south to Patea in the north and extending inland for from two to twelve miles is a belt of sand country covering approximately 270,000 acres. Most of it is suitable for farming but an extensive area is more suitable for afforestation. Large areas are only partly developed and production generally is low. Although there has been a marked improvement in farming in the area in the past decade there is still great scope for improvement.
