POULTRYMEN'S PLIGHT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 136, 25 June 1937, Page 19

POULTRYMEN'S PLIGHT

■Pi-Sss Assdoiation.)

Twenty-Nine Leave the InSnstty THE HIGH COST OF FEED

(Ry Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, June 23. A statement that in the last feW monthb 29 commercial poultrykfeepera ■had been forced out of business os account of the uneconomic state of the industry was made yesterday by one of the largest producers iii the Auckland district, when diseussing f&e urgent need of raview by tho Government oi the prices of, poultry feed. The plight ' of cgg-producers ^to-day, -and over tho past 12 months in par- ■ ticular, had undoubtedly been due tfl Government control of ifeed, he continued. ' Eveh with the good prices the 4 margin of profit over the excessive cost of feed did not allow of sufiicient reserve being built np to offset the losses which would be incurred in the flush of the production season, wh6n eggs Were retuming only 10d a dozen to the proExient of Increases The producer said he bought feed in large qiiantities and at the best possible rates, but, hotwithstanding that advantage, the high price could not be faced unless something was dOne ^ to ensure a better return- in the coming Season. "About 18 inonthB ago I was buying poultry wheat at 5s a bushel and tBe best quotation I ean get to-day is 6s, 9d ex wharf, chsh with order, " he continued. The prices a bushel for b&rley in the. same period were 3s 4d hnd 6s 5a, maize 3s lOd and ^s, and pollard, previously bought in large lots at £516s to £6 a ton, was noW quoted at £10 5s a ton. "The Government must accept some .'of the blame at'ieast for our troubles," said the producer. , It had not responded tq requests ,to obtain Wheat from Australia when it was realised last December that supplies were to be short. The sprouted wheat which had been supplied was detrimental to the production of eggs, as it did not enable the birds to build up their condition. Assistance for Wheat-growws AnOthfei producer said it had been proved that, as a resiilt of the.infirior qualffy of the wheat, pullets had nqt come into profit at the tiicne they were expected to. , . "The injustice being meted out to poultry producers in the high prices they are compelled'to pay for feed calls for the strongest protest," said an official of the Manukau and Franklin district eouncil of the New Zealand Poultry Producers5 Federation. Poultrylccepers resented thc fact that Government assistance was granted to the ftheat-growers, whose produce was .about £1,000,000 less in value anniially than the egg production trade.