Mr Kirk’s Remarks ‘Decried Farmers’

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 5

Mr Kirk’s Remarks ‘Decried Farmers’

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 9. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said today that he found it difficult to understand why the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) should be anxious to make public statements decrying the efforts of New Zealand farmers. Mr Kirk challenged Mr Holyoake on Monday to say how he intended to keep bacon, ham and pork prices down in the face of falling pig production.

The Prime Minister said Mr Kirk's statement was a further example of the Labour Party’s

lack of understanding of farming and its importance to the economy. Pork production was falling, but the reason was that pig breeding had always been a sideline to the dairy industry and a profitable use for skim milk left over after separating on the farm, Mr Holyoake said. “Today more and more farmers are switching to the tanker collection of milk. “This reflects the growth of the milk powder and casein industries and has naturally eliminated the quantities of skim milk available on each farm for pig breeding and pork production,” he said. Mr Holyoake said the export value of milk powder and casein was greater than the value of pig meat.

“It is also a much better use of the protein of milk for purposes of providing human food in a hungry world,” he said. The Prime Minister said adoption of the tanker system had increased effiicency and production for export. Dairy exports usually earned £95 million in overseas exchange and exports of pork between £1 million and £l} million, he said. “Perhaps Mr Kirk would like a reduction in dairy production and a consequent drop in our overseas earnings." Mr Holyoake said Mr Kirk’s comments on the development of dairy exports to Japan were equally confused. “What did the Labour Party do to develop markets in that country when they were the Government?” he said.

“Cold facts and figures tell their own story because in the 1959-60 period five tons of butter were exported to Japan from New Zealand whereas 384 tons were exported in the nine months ending February of the 1965-66 year,” he said.