N.Z. EXPORTERS TOLD TO REFUSE LUMP SUM PAYMENTS

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1948, Page 8

N.Z. EXPORTERS TOLD TO REFUSE LUMP SUM PAYMENTS

HASTINGS, May 31. Mr D. L. M. Martin, research officer for the New Zealand Federateu Farmers, addressing Hawke’s :zay ' Federated Farmers, said that unles farmers induced the representatives of the Meat Board and Dairy Commission, who had gone to the United Kingdom, to refuse to agree to a continuation of the lump sum payments for primarry products, the New Zealand Government intendec to continue this system. He claimed that lump sum payments had been ,an effective mecnod of depriving the farmer of a real price for his produce and instead of accruing to the beneffi of the industry in the meat and dairy stabilisation account, or even being used for the stabilisation of prices in New Zealand, as stated by the Minister of Finance, had been used to pay off loans which had fallen due in the United Kingdom. In other words, the farmers of New Zealand had given £35,000,000 to the rest ol the community of New Zealand. .

“In order to balance the adverse terms of trade between the -United Kingdom and New Zealand to-day,” he said, “the annual lump sum payments of £4,000,000 sterling would need to be increased to approximately £10,000,000 sterling. “It must be the opinion of every farmer in the country that any payments for our exportable ■ produce should be included in the price for it, so that the farming industry received direct benefit and not the community as a whole. •