FOOD FOR BRITAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 76, 29 May 1945, Page 7

FOOD FOR BRITAIN

MANPOWER HANDICAP IN DOMINION MEAT BOARD'S REPRESENTATIONS The New Zealand Meat Producers Board at its recent meeting discussed at length the manpower position on farms in its relation to the vital necessity for maintaining food supplies to Britain. It decided to communicate its views to the Acting Prime Minister (Mr Nash) and also to the Minister of .Agriculture and Marketing (Mr Roberts) and the Minister of Industrial Manpower (Mr McLagan) . While repeating its assurance of the sincere desire of farmers to produce to the utmost to help their kith and kin in the Old Country > the Board was impelled to express its conviction that the present uncertain position of the labour supply is having a very serious effect on tlie prospects of meat production in the future. The recent calling up of farmers and labour on farms had, stated the Board created a most discouraging feeling, and the lower-* ed morale which must result from the severe 1 hardships under which farmers were suffering through lab- j our shortage must definitely have an adverse effect on production. Doubt •was expressed by the Board's members as to the possibility of the position being relieved by men returning from because there is no certainty that they will readily return to farm work in face of the? easier life and the greater companionship to be enjoyed in the towns. ''To the Board and the meat producers/' stated the letter sent to the "it does not seem to make sense that at this stage of the war men who have been retained right up to the present because of their essentiality, '.should now be withdrawn from farms when the need for more food is greater than ever." At. its previous meeting the Board made representations to the Government to maintain the skilled staffs of the export freezing works f pointing out that it would be useless to make more stock available for the export trade if it could not be prepared for shipment. The result of these representations was the postponement of calling up of certain classes of freezing works' employees, and as this occurred before

the victorious conclusion of the campaign in Italy the Board is of opinion that the problem which then faced the Government in respect to replacement for the Division is now less acute. lij its latest communication to the Government tli<: Board urged, that there should he an early announcement of policy in regard to manpower on farms and its relationship to food production for the Old Country so that farmers can plan their operations for the forthcoming season. Reports on the shipping and cool storage position submitted at the Board's last meeting indicated the keen desire of the British authorities to lift every available ton of New Zealand meat. Though shipping tonnage is a world-wide problem, tlie refrigerated ships made available to the Dominion have enabled meat to be shipped in greater quantities than last season the cool store 9 position being relatively much easier this year despite the fact that the quantity of meat killed, to date is approximately 20 000 tons more.