APPEAL TO MAIZE GROWERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 64, 13 April 1945, Page 5

APPEAL TO MAIZE GROWERS

3000 ACRES NEEDED PROBLEM OF HARVESTING STABILISATION PLAN SUGGESTED "That a committee of eight, representing maize growers in this area be appointed with a view to stabilising a maize plucking price to which all growers should be bound'" was the' resolution passed by a representative meeting of farmers from the Opotiki and' Whakatane districts held in the County Council Chambers on Monday. It was also decided that a sep- • arate committee should be formed in Opotiki. Present at the meeting was Mr W. National Council Organiser at 'Wellington who addressed the meeting. Proceedings were opened by Mr W. R. Boon who occupied the chair. " The he was the result • of a request to Mr Huse l'rom the Primary Production Council to obi tain more definite information re- ; garding price and labour for harvesting for the coming season. The -Government was asking for 12,000 - acres of maize to be planted mainly in the Auckland district. Of this total, Whakatane and Opotiki's quota was 3,000 acres. Opening liis remarks, Mr Huse .stated that it was essential that Whakatane and Opotiki should pro- ■ duce 3,000 acres, of maize. He assured them that. 3cwt. of fertiliser per acre would be forthcoming for this purpose and also that material, with the exception of roofing iron, for the erection of cribs would be made available. Strong representations had also been made to the. Stabilisation • Committee, he. said for an increase in price. Harvesting With regard to labour Mr Huse ' *9 . stated that this seemed to be a" most acute problem. He felt sure that if it were possible to guarantee the farmer that his. crop would be harvested there would be no difficulty ;at all in obtaining as much maize /from Whakatane as was required. A plan of planting was. being put into operation throughout New Zealand and it was being' launched early in the season.

The subject was then thrown open to discussion, Mr Huse reminding the meeting that there was still time to refer any questions necessary to Wellington from where a • direct answer could be obtained. Question of Subsidy Mr McGracken: I understand that this country has been placed in such a position that it is unable to import cereals Every effort should therefore be made to encourage increased production. One of the few methods by which the farmer will be encouraged to grow maize is to increase the subsidy on this commodity to 2/- per bushel, or else put it on the same basis as the pig crop subsidy of £5 per acre which would work out at approximately the same. Mr Holmon (Opotiki) was of the same, opinion. He had, he stated, contacted a number of growers in the Opotiki area who held the .same "views as Mr McCracken. ] Butter or Maize ? "The point has been reached," he said, "when it lias become necessary l'or the fanner to decide what is going to pay best —dairying or maize? The land that isi going to be broken up for the planting of maize would perhaps, show a better return if utilised for dairying." In reply to a question as to whether the Department advocated small .growers cutting down the size of their herds in order to increase the area of maize, Mr Huse stated that butterfat was required urgently, and the Department did not want maize at the expense of butterfat. It suggested however, that areas which needed regrassing due to the flood having been over them would pay for this operation if maize were planted while the gorund was broken up. Urgency of Need "We cannot get maize from South Africa or Australia," said Mr Huse. "We might perhaps be able to obtain some from the Argentine, but -at the same time we. would be running the risk of importing with it .all types of diseases. We are therefore asking you if you can produce .the maize we require for us." Enquiring into the expense involved in growing the maize, Mr A., MctJougan asked whether the 'price £;po£ bag' system introduced in Gis--horne was going to become universal or whether a farmer could pay what lie chose. At the same time, hi.s •opinion was that farmers would have to receive a better price for their

grain or they would not waste time and money producing it.

Mr Boon: What we want is some system whereby we will know what the price of harvesting will be. Then we will know where we stand.

Mr Baird: Several years ago we held a meeting in this very room and arranged a set price for harvesting. Twenty-lour hours later one of the men Avho had been in agreement with the figure set was paying labour nt Die rate of £1 per acre more. We. must have a set price and stick to it if we are going to arrive at a method that is fair to everyone grower and plucker alike. Mr L. Brown representing the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency said that it had been suggested that Army labour might be acquired for harvesting purposes but the condition of the war was changing so rapidly that it was not possible to tell whether there would even be any military camps left in New Zealand at the end of 18 months. The Gisiborne Plan For the benefit of the meeting, Mr Huse then outlined the Gisborne plan. Growers in the Gisborne area ha said, paid 1/3 with meat, or 1/4 without per one or two-strip bag. All tax was paid by the employees. An arbitrary committee had also been set up with both growers and piuckers represented thereon and each section had agreed to abide by the committee's decision. Transport Difficulties Mention wasi also made of the difficulties encountered with the problem of transport. Mr Huse stated that in Gisborne the chairman of the committee was responsible for a block license from .which he issued petrol as it was required. Stating the difficulty he had encountered in obtaining sufficient fuel for farming purposes. Mr Baird said that, it appeared as if the Government were on. the one hand urging the farmer to grow maize, and on the other blocking him at every turn. Mr Huse stated that any enquiries for petrol for agricultural purposes should be made through the Primary Production Council. The Labour Problem Mr Iveri Wano summed up the situation with regard to labour. "You can't get Maoris to work in this district now," he said, "for less than 16/- per day. The small growers spoil the price. A man with four or live, acres will pay 16/- a day and when the Maoris, come to pluck a large area of 40 or 50 acres they still want, the same price. I myself, have 30 acres of maize, but the piuckers available want up to £6 an acre for doing it or else their 16/- a day. They will not do it by the bag.

Mr Huse: In Gisborne, at 1/3 and 1/4 per bag the Maori earns over £1 in one day. !

Mr Wano: Yes but the Maoris here won't do that.

Mr McGougan: We are willing to pay a good price but it must be stabilised.

On behalf of the Native Department, Mr C. R. West stated that the Department was prepared to grow maize again this year provided that harvesting costs were stabilised at 1/6 per two-strip bag and fertiliser supplied. This, he said, was a Departmental offer and provided the Maoris agreed to the figure set they could do the work. Otherwise, labour would have to be procured elsewhere. The above stated motion was then moved by Mr W. A. McCracken and carried unanimously.

The following committee as representative of the growers in this area was then formed: Messrs Keri Wano j C. R. West P. Baird, D. C. Butler, A. McLean" C. Thompson, W. Davis and W. A. McCracken.

A resolution that the above committee go into the question of cost for submission to the Government was passed.