DAIRY INDUSTRY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 26, 19 June 1939, Page 2

DAIRY INDUSTRY

p REVIEW OF SEASON LOSS OF GUARANTEE POLICY NOT CARRIED OUT" The South Island Dairy Association in its annual review of the industry 1 refers to overseas freight rates (yet 1 to be fixed) on butter and cheese; the increased production costs of the industry and the effect on the good, will hitherto enjoyed by New Zea--1 land in the British markets by reason of the control of imports from the United Kingdom in particular. Referring to the guaranteed prices > for butter and cheese, the report ! states that it is ''quite evident that ; the Government is not carrying out ■ the policy defined by the Act. ! "The Price Advisory Committee ' reached its unanimous decision on • facts which cannot be disputed and 1 the recompense "which it recommended the dairy farmer should receive ; for his services is substantially less . than, is being paid to other sections i of the people of this country r or work of much less national import. 1 ance. ''As an indication that the stand- ' ards of costs fixed by the committee* did not favour the dairy farmers, we may say' that the average factory costs of the cheese factory companies in the South Island, for the year 1937-38, cxcceded 4d a lb butterfat. whereas the standard adopted by the committee for such costs was 3^d. The Minister of Marketing at the Dairy Board conference last month mentioned that on this season's pro. ducc sold up to April 13, there was a deficit of slightly more than £1,000,000. ESTIMATED LOSS £2,000,000. "The present indications are that when the whole season's output has been realised which will not be for J some months yet. the deficit will not be far short of £2,000,000. If that estimate should prove to be approximately correct, the net deficit in the account, after deducting the surplus of £555,000 from the previous sen. son, will be close to £1,500,000." The following motion is to be discussed at the annual meeting: ''The conference cannot accept the Minii. ter's suggestion that the prices fixed by the Government, for the cur. rent season should be continued for the 1939-40 season. It considers that to give effect to the provisions of the. Primary Products Marketing Act, and do justice to the producer, the prices to be paid for the 1939-40 season should be the prices recommended by the 1038 advisory committee, with the addition of all ascertainabl; increases in costs since the committee's report was presented. It is prepared, however, in order to assist the Minister in h's efforts to stabilise costs, to forgo the increases in co:;ts and to accept for the 1939-40 season the prices recommended by the advisory committee for the 1938-39 'reason-" THE MAGPIE MEMACE Magpies are rapidly increasing in numbers in the Wanganui district, and are becoming than ever a serious pest, as they prey upon young birds. A farmer stated that recently the bodies of two young mallard ducks which he rears on his property were found with their heads missing. A day later a magpie was seen flying away from the yard where those young ducks were witJi- something in its beak, and on investigation the body of a mallard duck with its head chewed off was found.