FARMING AFFAIRS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 October 1946, Page 8

FARMING AFFAIRS

(This column is supplied weekly b.v Federated Farmers of N.Z. The information given is offieial, but any views expressed are those of Ihe Federation and are not necessarily those of this neiwspaper.) New Price Schedule Increases in prices amounting to ?,d per pouud for iambs, per pound for wethers and hl for ewes vvere publi.shed recently. The faet tliat wethers have been given a higher rise than the otlier two classes indicates that the Government has realised at iast that something must l)e done for the hill-country stockbreeder. Federated Farmers has repeatedly stressed the necessity for this action and has frequently pointed out in published articdes how the export schedule was more to the advantage of the fat-lamb farmer than to the advantage of the hill-country breeder. The new increase is one step towards remedving the anomalous position, but further increments will need to be given the hill-country breeder to make up for the damage done in the past. Butterfat Price Increases Using conservative figures of 120,000 tons of butter and 95,000 tons of cheese to be export ed in 1940-47, it is estiinated that the Dairy Stabilisation Account will be increased by approximately £5,250,000, N.Z. currency, this coming year. That amount would be diininished, of course, by any increase in guaranteed price wliich may be granted Ihe producer in this period. This ligure is based on the increases in price of £24 10s sterling per ton for butter, and £89 sterling per ton for cheese announced in the Budget. Meat export prices have also been increased, by 7i per eent. above the 1944-45 and 1945-40 prices. Pig-meat prices have been augmented by 11 J per cent. above the 1945-40 levels. These increinents will add approximately £2,000,000, N.Z. currency, to the Meat Stabilisation Aecount, less any increase.s in schedule prices wliich may be allowed the producer for 1940-47. Delegates of Federated Farmers who were present at the discussions on this matter in Britain, state that it is signilicant that the case for higher prices under the .U.K. uulk contracts was based on increased costs of production. Mil k in g-M a chine Rubberware Head office has received advice from the N.Z. fStandards Institute that they now intend reviewing the specifications of milking-machine rubberware and altering them to the advantage of the dairy industry. The specifications now in force were introduced in 1942 to secure economy in the use of rubber during the wai*. Defniing dimensions, composition and weight, tensile strength and otlier essentials, the new specilications will be subject to the prior approval of the industry. Tyre Priorities ' Replying to a resolution forwarded from the Dominion Council of Federated Farmers protesting strongly to the new tyre priority schedule, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. D. G. Sullivan, stated that the priority rating given to farmers' cars and trucks at the moment is as high as possible, having due regard to available stoclcs. The ditiiculty was further enhanced, 'said the Minister, by the faet th'at many farmers . used the larger sizes of tyres, particularly in the 19, 20 and 21iuch groups." These were in extremely short supply. Cabled inquiries had been made in Austraiia with a view to ascertaining if preference could be given to the manufacture and export of more of these sizes, but no material iniproveinent had been aehieved to date. It was apparent, said Mr. SuJlivan, that no system of priorities, however equitable in tlieory, could operate in actual practice to the complete satisfaction of all persons. Therefore, district eontrollers and their committees were required to exercise discretionary powers in correcting any anomalies wliich might arise. An assurance was \given that no un necessaijy delay would arise in making tyres available immediately additional stocks came to hand. •