Farmers’ Discussion On Handling Of Grain

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 15

Farmers’ Discussion On Handling Of Grain

The Railways Department should allocate a proportion of waggons for the carriage of grain at harvest time, said Mr S. M. Wilson at the annual conference of the agriculture section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers’ yesterday. Mr Wilson moved a remit to that effect which had been sent forward from the Amberley branch. This was seconded by Mr R. Croft. Subsequently the remit was changed to ask for “an adequate supply of waggons.” The remit was carried. “Farmers have been taken to task for not making use of the railways, and all sorts of restrictions have been placed on road transport,” Mr Wilson said. “Grain has had to play second fiddle to imports which could be staggered over the rest of the year.”

An allied remit from the Hawarden-Waikari branch which asked for a change in the import licensing period, was added to the discussion. This would alleviate some of the congestion, it was said. Mr A. Mulholland (Darfield) said that conditions this year had been exceptional and a precedent could not be set on this for subsequent years. A big part of the congestion had been caused by the overseas strike and by a back-log of shipping because of the holiday period. The weather had also affected the position. An Amuri delegate said that the department had sent empty trucks into the district and taken empty trucks out again. Waggons with “rotten sheep trotters” had been sent and these were “totally unsuitable for carrying foodstuffs such as wheat,” he said. Other delegates said that the mills had also contributed to the delay and some farmers had to wait up to 10 days to get wheat into the mill even with road transport. Sir Walter Mulholland said that although the Wheat Committee had imported a shipment of wheat into Lyttelton at harvest time and this had used railway waggons, this wheat had been necessary to blend with the local wheat and this had, in fact, speeded up the taking in of wheat by the millers. Storage Depreciation “Farmers who are prepared to build extra grain storage facilities on their farms should be allowed to deduct 50 per cent, initial depreciation for income tax purposes.” Mr A. Mulholland (Darfield) said, in moving a remit to this effect from his branch. The wheat price was reasonably satisfactory, and it would be “a wee bit on the nose" to ask for an increased storage increment, Mr Mulholland said. Storage facilities were expensive and in this last season if 20 per cent, of the grain could have been stored on the farm it would have

alleviated much of the transport congestion. Mr R. Croft suggested it would be better to ask for the cost of the storage facilities to be wholly depreciated over five years. Mr Mulholland said that his branch's remit was put forward as an idea to stimulate discussion. “The loss of wheat because of weather this year was a national loss.” he said. Mr Croft’s amendment to recover the cost over five years was successful and the remit will go forward to the Dominion agriculture section conference in Masterton next month. Transport Committee A remit that a transport committee be set up to coordinate transport in times of congestion was moved by the Amuri delegate. This committee should include representatives of the Harbour Board, the railways, road transport operators, warehousemen, grain and seed merchants, Federated Farmers, Chamber of Commerce. shipping companies and millers, the remit said. The remit was carried and will come before the provincial executive conference for discussion. A remit from the Amuri branch asking that the depreciation charge on sacks be reduced was carried. Mr L W. Savage said that one miller had used one sack 19 times. A depreciation of 33 1-3 per cent, paid for one use was too great Mr A. W. Amor said that new sacks had been taken in last year from farmers at Is 9d and sold back again this year at 2s 9d and then the usage charge had been lid. Mr R. G. Rainey said that five uses was considered the average some years ago. The merchants had decided about three uses was now the average. Mr Amor moved that there should be a farmers’ represensative on the price-fixing authority for sacks. This was carried. A remit that the Department of Agriculture should cease supplying Government stock seed to properties infested with nodding thistle was carried. Mr B. Gt Thwaites. who moved the remit from the Hororata branch, said that certified seed from such properties could infest other farms.