FARMERS MEET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 298, 28 April 1941, Page 5

FARMERS MEET

BOARD'S WARD CONFERENCE IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSED "Owing to the fact that much of the information which, is to be given this conference is. of a highly confidential nature, dealing with production and l shipping, and with arrangements for next season,, the meeting this year must be regarded as being in committee, and the statement supplied' Is all that can be published," stated Mr A. J. Murdock, Dairy Board! member for the district from the chair when, opening Thursday's conference at Whakatane. Stating that some questions asked at the conclusion of the address might be on matters that could be published and! could be providing the secretary was agreeable the chairman added: "These restrictions are placed upon the press only because tlx© Dairy Board has been given permission by the Minister of marketing to divulge to delegates certain confidential information, pro Vided it is not published in the press*" Board Chairman's Address. In his address Mr W. E. Hale, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Board, traversed many matters that are of vital concern to* the industry at the present time, and gave dele* gates a confidential outline of tha present position. Increased Cheese Production. Mr Hale indicated that because ol the priority Avhicli was being given to cheese, over other classes of produce, it was essential that increased cheese production should be secured next season, and the only question that still awaited settlement was as to the quantity which Great Britain desired. The industry had responded well to the present season'. 1 , request for more cheese, and he was sure it would respond again, no matter how great the reorganisation j required. Future Plans. The board felt that before going ahead with plans for next season, ' it would be desirable to have a definite. objective of so many thou sands of tons of cheese, ancl it wat hoped that in the near future Britain's requirements would be made clear. That was the first fundamental point to be settled.

The second was an. undertaking on the part of the New Zealand Government that it would pay for. the whole of next season's dairy production. Obviously the industry could l not plan its future operations unless it knew what the Government's purchasing policy was tb be. The board had been in touch with the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, on that point, and while no complete and clear-cut statement had as yet been made, he (Mr Hale) believed that it was the intention of the Government to live up to the spirit of the Primary Products' Marketing Act r and! pay for all the produce which was manufactured. Might be Serious. As delegates knew, Government ownership of the produce was assumed at the stasfe, ancl a very serious situation might arise for the industry in the, event of' lengthy storage prior to shipment. The board had suggested that the basis of payment should be 50 per cent after the produce had been six weeks in store, and the balance after it had been, three' months in store. The Minister of Marketing ■ had not agreed to that suggestion but had replied) that the Government recognised a special' obligation to the dairy industry, and) indicating that if conditions were abnormal the Government would discuss; the* matter with the board. Decision Wanted Now. Mr Hale thought that it would really be much better if the matter could be decided at once 1 , for though he personally-believed! that the Government fully intended to live up to its promises and to purchase th'. whole of the dairy produce manufactured next season, a definite a renouncement would be helpful, particualrly if they were called! upon' to reorganise the iMustry; to produce more cheese. Would do the Job. If the British Government desired a further substantial increase in cheese output lie knew that the industry would be right out to do the job. There would, however, be

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some fundamental questions of icy that would need to be decidedupon, such, for instance, as the policy to be followed in the years lowing the war, aiwJ he 1 that the best plan wculd_.lse for these board to formulate a policy andfc then call together a Ddminioi* Dairy conference to consider it, "*