Protest By Farmers Has World-Wide Echo

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1949, Page 7

Protest By Farmers Has World-Wide Echo

When the New Zeaiand Meat Board discontinued the "±air average quaiity" grade of beef for export the dairy section of the Manawatu Provinciai Federated Farmers lodged a strong protest. This had world-wide repercussions. Statements niade by uiemoers at the local meetmg were re'eorded in various New Zeaiand papers and also founu their way into newspapers in Fnglana setting in motion a train of eorresponaence received by Federated Farmers from people in England. "Meat from New Zeaiand has never been ref used, ' ' said an offieial of the British Mfnistry of Food, commenting on the original report.in a statement to the British Press. "New Zeaiand farmers protesteu against the British Ministry of Foo.d's refusal to take'f.a.q. beef at 38s' per cwt. The meat is now. being boned aua the farmer is reeeiving an increaseu price of 31s per cwt. as fixed . by tne Stabilisation Commission. The 'beef, it is officially said, is not finest quality. It is classed on export schedules as ' fair average quality' but it is certainly superior to much of the meat Britam is aecepting from other sources. It is cow beef and the New Zeaiand pubiic is consuming it in large quantities," stated another English paper. The following extraets have been taken from letters received by the Federation from people in England: — "Believe me we are short of fooa. Make 110 mistake about that, and our staiidard of iiving has never been su lovv as it is now. How would you aua the people of New Zeaiand like to exist on the following ration for a single person for a week?: lOd meat, 1 oz oi bacon, 3 ozs of butter, I ozs of margarine, 1 oz of cooking fat. " "I am often liungry. There are plenty of non-essentials at almost prohibitive prices. I have, been offered vvhale and horse meat 'and all kinds or concoetions unfit to eat; in fact I often wonder what I am eating and where the meat comes from. Butcliers in prewar days would not have dared offered it for sale at 3d per lb. We are mucii worse off than during the war. " " Having just read your coniments in our Daily Express, about our Food Minister's refusal to buy your f.a.q. beef, I feel I must write to say I heartily agree with you, and most of luy friends join me in tliinking so. No meat could be worse than we are eating today, and we get precious little of it. My joint for this wcekend is about los, eosting 2s for mv adult daughter, husband and inyself. This is our ration for the .Sunday joint, and I have another ls worth midwcek to include cornbeef. bo we are not overfed by any means. You must be ppzzled by our Go.vernment's queer policy. " . -x" ■ A furflier letter was received from a firrn of -butcliers in buva whieh read: — "I was interestcd to read the statement you made regarding boner beef on January 29, and a stnteipenf madg ':by tne chairman of the Meafc 'ProdirbefS'1 Board whieh was reported- on December 10 last. There is a big demand for. bone-

less cow- beef in this colony by the Fijian natives, and in view of the statement made on December 16, I approached our Fiji autliorities about increasing our quotas here and they in ' turn ap proached New Zeaiand authorities anu the reply was that they regret they could not let Fiji have any extra cow beef, and in view of the statemein made by you and whieh was reported on January 29, to me it is all confusing on top of a letter whieh Westfield Freezing Go. wrote to me saying they could supply the whole of Fiji requirements of cow. beef and had their assurance by doing so would not afit'ect Greai Britain requirements. At present wc are only allowed to import al^out 15,000 Ibs per month. Fiji prqsent requirements is 60,000 lbs per month at leasi and as time goes on we will require more as the shortage of beef cattle is getting extreruely serious, therefore it is a market that should not be misseu by New Zeaiand and what could b.e a better set up? The Matua caJls here every month, has the refrigerator space to carry it. The butehers have the freezer-s to carry or hold it. You are looking for a 'market for this commodity, Westfields want to supply us, wt want to buy it, the Fiji Governincni will give us permission to import wliat we require but -the New Zeaiand Government will not allow it to be exported to Fiji. ' ' •