Dairy farmers warned

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 17

Dairy farmers warned

PA Wellington Dairy farmers must take charge of their industry before it becomes totally centralised and makes their voice ineffectual, the Federated Farmers dairy section chairman, Mr Owen Jennings of Karamea, has warned.

Mr Jennings told the dairy section’s annual conference that decisions were being made in isolation too often without the feel of what was said and thought by farmers.

This centralised decisionmaking was particularly evident in Dairy Board

leaders’ calls for restraint in farm production and new entrants to the industry, Mr Jennings said. “We have now reached the point when it is even being suggested that the right to determine whether one will increase production or not is to be taken from the individuals.” It was the farmers’ responsibility to take greater interest in company annual meetings and the work of the Dairy Board, Mr Jennings said.

“In some cases the company annual meeting is an exercise in telling share-

holders as little as possible in as long a time as possible.”

Mr Jennings also urged a review of elections to the Dairy Board, giving more even representation to dairy farmers.

“Most positions are not gained by any election procedure, but are arranged by a dominant company in that ward,” said Mr Jennings.

Some sort of electoral college was needed to give real opportunity for choice and filtering of talent for dairy board positions.