PIG PRODUCTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 137, 4 August 1941, Page 5

PIG PRODUCTION

NO STATE SUBSIDY EXTRA LEVY REQUIRED At the Farmers' Union meet* ing held at Edgecumbe on Thursday the chairman, Mr R. W. Strugnell, referred to the need for a further penny levy on pigs stating that the State had withdrawn its subsidy and by the producers paying the extra fee then the Councils could continue r tr> operate as a body of their own. He explained that last year £7,450 6s lid had been received from the levies and £8,203 spent on the areas governed by the nine councils. The deficit had been met by a grant oT £.250 from the Meat Board and £1?.9(> from the grant to the Department of Agriculture. Thus the year had concluded with a credit of £800. It was considered that with 'the fund received by the National Council this year together with the credit there would be sufficient funds to carry on. It was suggested that the extra penny levy would make the council self-supporting and entirely in the hands of the producers if they ?o> desired. The total levy would Jbe "3d, Worth Maintaining Although expressing the same teiuctance as the cahirman did when speaking owing to being a member of a council, Mr R. Dunning stated that the councils were Avell worth maintaining. Not a penny was wasted and the full benefit was obtained by the farmers, while the organisation represented the only body of pig producers which could go direel to the Government with a producers point of view, Mr Nielsen suggested that it might be better to curtail the council's Activities as the present outlook was not bright for the industry. A Good Service The -chairman stated that there were seventj' pig clubs and all iet'eived good service. Not only members of clubs received, this service but any farmer was assisted and had that right. If activities were to be curtailed then someone would have to suffer and it would be the aVonmembers who were entitled to something for their levy.. Mr J. Mull ins also opposed the increase pointing out that it was again increasing costs. A Cheap Insurance That the farmers did not know what the position might be shortly was; stated by Mr Dunning. Ail increase might be asked for in a short time. "'Duringi the 'scare' last year hundreds of pounds, went down the drain from those who would not lislenj while those who listened to the advice of the council saved their levies a hundredfold.'" He added that to the small farmer it meat I only about 5s or 6s and that was a cheap insurance. It was decided to support the increase, Messrs Mull ins and Nielsen recording their votes against the motion.