FARMERS WANT FULL RETURN FOR PRODUCTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 91, 6 September 1948, Page 4

FARMERS WANT FULL RETURN FOR PRODUCTS

“The feeling is very strong among the rank and file of farmers that they should get the full return for their products and should not he called upon to continue to subsidise the consuming public as they have been doing over past years,” stated Mr John Andrew (Central Otago), in seconding a motion proposed by Mr J. E. Downes Roberts (South Otago), at the annual general meeting of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board held at Wellington recently. Full text of the motion which was carried unanimously was:— “That in yiew of the fact that the Government has, thr.ough the arbitrary alteration of the exchange rate, deprived the farmers of 'New Zealand of one-fifth of their export income amounting to approximateoly £27 million, the Meat Producers of New Zealand insist that they receive the full export price for hides, tallow, pelts, bobby calfskins and sundries: That the subsidies within New Zealand on these items should no longer be the responsibility of the Primary Producers.” Succeeding speakers emphasised the necessity of freeing the industry of some of the shackles imposed by various regulations such as the hides emergency regulations, the sheepskin regulations dnd the pickled sheep and lamb pelt emergency regulations. The lack of incentive both to the primary producer , and to the processor was resulting in considerable waste on the one hand, and a deterioration of the ultimate . product on the other. The latter feature was having a detrimental effect on our good name in importing countries overseas. It was emphasised that the payment of consumer subsidies by the primary producer was entirely unjust and inequitable.