FARMER'S DIFFICULTIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 204, 26 August 1940, Page 1

FARMER'S DIFFICULTIES

MEETING RISING COSTS RANGITAIKI SUPPLIERS VIEWS "Its not so much what the farmer gets for his produce which counts, but the costs he "has to meet to get that produce" said Mr W. A. McCracken, chairman of directors at the annual meeting of suppliers to the Rangitaiki Dairy Company last Thursday. He went on to say that while all farmers were eager to do their best to supply the needs of Great Britain, they were faced with tremendous difficulties with regard to labour, which promised to become progressively worse as the war went on. He hoped the Government was cognisant of the conditions and would do something to alleviate them. Minister's Promise Recalled. Continuing, Mr McCracken quoted Mr Nash, the Minister for Finance at the Dairy Board Conference last year, who had said upon that occasion that as circumstances warranted the Government would examine any cases of rising costs, and in the event of any penaltj r would see that this was shared by all classes of the community, The Government had done very little to see that this was brought into effect. All other sections of the community had had increased wages, and the manufacturing costs had been passed on to the farmer who had no chance whatever of realising in his turn. This was a very serious state of affairs and would if carried much further place the Dominion's main .primary industry is jeopardy and it behoved those in charge of the country to see that farmers had a chance of existing and. carrying on progressively undler abnormal war conditions. Delayed Shipping Costs. Mr Lambert drew attention to the delayed shipping costs Avhich were having the effect of heavily increasing the company's overdraft. In prewar days he said, butter was shipped a few weeks after gradling. Now it was as manj r months before it was loaded. He considered that payment should be made on grading date, and the dairy company's not be penalised for something over which they had no control. Mr Maunder thought that the Government should be asked to make advances available from the Dairy Industry Account and thus save interest. Mr McCracken informed the meeting that the matter was before the Dairy Board conference and that a remit covering the points raised had been forwarded. Mr Lambert suggested that it would strengthen the hands of'the board to have a motion go forward from the meeting, and moved that in view of the serious rise in inteiest charges arising out of delayed shipment of produce that the New Zealand Dairy Board be asked to urge that payments for butter be made when it was graded instead of as at present on f.o.h, This was adopted by the meeting and carried.