FARMING AFFAIRS

Lake County Mail, Issue 1, 29 May 1947, Page 2

FARMING AFFAIRS

This column is supplied weekly by Federated Farmers of New Zealand. The information given is official, but any views expressed are those of the Federation, and not necessarily those of this newspaper. A Week of Meetings; During the whole of last week, a series of meeting's was held at Head Office of the Federation in Wellington. On Tuesday Share-milker Employers met as did the Dominion Action Committee. On Tuesday the Council of the Meat and Wool, Dairy and Agriculture Sections dealt with the specific problems of their industries, while the full Dominion Council commenced a three-day sitting on Wednesday. A special meeting concerning domestic matters of the Farmers’ Union was also held. The Dominion Council devoted Wednesday and part of Friday to consideration of various points of territorial definition raised by the Auckland Provincial Executive. While all details of Auckland’s provincial area were not finalised, certain agreements concerning organisational work up till the time of the Dominion Conference in July was raised. A heavy agenda of remits was also considered by the Council. Mr. H. E. Blyde, acting Dominion President, was in the chair. Forty.hour Week: How current shortages of supplies could be overcome while the fortyhour week continued in operation was a matter which gave concern to members of the Council. Doubts of the unqualified success of the short week, as recently claimed by certain political leaders in New South Wales, were expressed. The Action Committee, which is responsible for Federation Publicity, was finally instructed to issue a candid statement to the Australian Press explaining how the short hours of work in New Zealand had caused production to fall at a time of serious shortages of consumer goods and an abundance of inflated currency. N.Z. Beef in London: In a report received from Mr. D. L. M. Martin, Kesearch Officer of the Federation, who is at present overseas, details were given of the judging in England of Wanganui Show Beef Carcases. The general opinion of the English Judges was that most of the beasts were too fat for the normal market, on pre-war standards. They also stated that the standard of slaughtering was poor, a defect which would have to be remedied if New Zealand Beef Avas to compete successfully Avith Argentine Beef. Waikato Slioav Beef A\ms displayed at the same time, and in the opinion of the Meat Trade, the Waikato product was superior in both quality and the standard of slaughtering. A representative of Weddell & Co. told Mr. Martin that there Avas sufficient supplies of meat in Britain for

but one week’s consumption. If ships were delayed for one week, Britain would be without meat. Mr. Martin saw at Cardiff one of the largest cool stores in England, with a capacity of 100,000 tons, yet it held at the time only 200 tons boner beef from Auckland and Argentine mutton. The Hon. E. Vesty said that, in his opinion, there was no advantage in the chilled beef trade to New Zealand unless continuity of supply could be guaranteed. That would involve at least 10,000 tons per week, a target probably beyond New Zealand's capacity.