Waimarino farmers join co-op

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 305, 19 September 1989, Page 4

Waimarino farmers join co-op

An estimated one third of Waimarino's farmers have joined a Waikato based collective which aims to sell stock by tender as well as save farmers up to 20 per cent of their farm costs.

Sixty four Waimarino farmers have joined the Waikato based Mid-

western Rural Limited collective, chaired by Dave Carey from Te

Anga. The company has about 400 farmer members who each pay a $100 share, up from the originai 53 at the start in early 1988 in Te Anga. Waimarino representative Adrian Godfrey said the company aims to sell 420,000 stock this year. This number would include 25,000 lambs, 3000 ewes and 700 cattle from the Waimarino. The group tenders for farm supplies also, aiming to save up to 20 percent over a range of goods including farm fuel, wool packs, sheep weighing scales, cars, motorbikes. Mt Godfrey said calling for tenders from meat companies w \s aimed at setting a uniform season price for farmers, and to guarantee the meat companies a supply of animals. Mr Godfrey cited examples where meat companies paid ridiculously low prices in the peak of the season, then went out of their area and paid high prices later to secure stock to supply their works. The co-operative has approached nine different companies for tenders. Mr Godfrey said results of ihe tendering will be released soon. Taumarunui's AFFCO works, which is the closest for many of the

farmers in the cooperative, refuses to take part in the tender process "for ethical reasons". AFFCO has been reported as saying they prefer to deal on a one-to-one basis and that the tender stock buying process goes against the principles of a co-operative such as AFFCO. The company is a shareholder co-operative and can't favour one group over another, AFFCO public relations officer has

been reported as saying. Mr Godfrey claims AFFCO does favour certain groups. He said he has been paid as much for his stock as a neighbour who sold his to another meat company, while the scheduled price was lower. He said the company takes its shareholders for granted and that it does not have a buyer based in the Waimarino while at least two other meat companies have.