DIVISION OF VALUE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 100, 13 December 1939, Page 5

DIVISION OF VALUE

CALVES AMD PIGS ON FARMS

POSITION OF SHAREMILKER

Though sharemilkers in New Zealand have a Union and the standard terms and conditions of agreements as set out in tlic Schedule to the Sharemilking Agreements Act, 1937, have been published, some differences arise from time to time and the following letter to a sharemilker at Awakeri from the Minister of Agriculture, Hon W. Lee Martin, will clear up some misconceptions.

"I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter enquiring whether a sharemilker on a one-third share basis must rear 25 per cent of the calves for nothing, or whether he receives a half share of th« value of all' calves reared, in January or February, in terms of the Sharemilking Agreements Act, 1037.

"In reply I have, to advise you that the various terms embodied in the Act apply only to cases where the dairy herd is Provided by the farm owner, and not to cases where the dairy herd or any part of it is provided by the sharemilker. Standard Terms. "The standard terms and conditions of sharemilking agreements as set out in the schedule to the Act provide that a sharemilker shall re--ceive a half-share of the calves valued as grades calves) and pigs. Calves for rearing shall be valued during January or February as mutually agreed upon, the farm owner to take over the calves as at that date. This means that all calves intended for rearing whether for the purpose of replacement in the herd, or for sale, must be valued at a date which is agreed upon by the farm owner and the sharemilker, and the sharemilker is entitled to a half-share of the value of the calves so ascertained. Limitation of Number for Rearing. I "Calves for rearing for replaceI ment shall be limited to 25 per cent of the herd, and if any of these are not retained for replacement purposes the proceeds of their sale ! shall go to the farm owner. It will be seen that since the January-Feb-j ruary valuation includes all calves, !no matter what purpose they are

intended for, and that since the sharemilker receives a half share of that valuation, the farm owner is en--3 titled to use the calves which he ; takes over as his own property at r that date for replacement purposes, " or, if necessary, to sell them and retain the proceeds.

"Accordingly it would seem that a sharemilker would receive half the ! value of all calves retained for rearing, on the basis of their valuation at some date during the months of January or February."