DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

Shannon News, 24 December 1925, Page 3

DAIRY FARMERS’ UNION.

THE EXECUTIVE MEETS, The executive committee of tlie Dairy Farmers’ Union*met on Wednesday. Present: —Messrs N. Campbell (chairman), W. H. Gimblett, J. L Fox, J. McFarland, J. H. Fowler, S. E. Algar and G. Wagstaff. Price of Manures. The Fcilding branch forwarded for consideration a suggestion that the executive go into the question of byproduct manure from freezing works. Speaking to the motion, Mr. McFarland remarked/that from information he had gathered, it appeared that one firm in New Zealand was buying up all the manurial output from the various freezing works. If that was so it would not be long before the situation would become oppressive in this land where manure was so badly n'eeded. He urged that immediate action be taken to co-operate with every other branch of the Union in an endeavour to secure cheaper manures for the small farmer. “The Prime Minister,” stated the speaker, “had appealed for the country to send him down a strong team and he would do something for the country. We have sent him down a strong team so we should now ask him to do something for us.” He would move that a deputation wait upon the Wellington vincial executive of the Farmers’ Union with the object of taking combined action. This was agreed to and M'cssrs Campbell and MeFarland were appointed as the deputation. Pigs for Export.

Messrs Dalgety and Co‘. wrote notifying that the executive of the Dairy Companies’ Pig Co-operative scheme, was now holding pigs for export and that unless a supplier specially directed otherwise, it was being assumed that he left the decision whether his pigs were to be sold locally or abroad, to the executive. To show the tone of •the Home market, the executive had received offers for forward sales up to the end of February, 1926. As killing would be discontinued between Deeeni-, ber 17th and January .4th, pigs, were not being received between those dates. A London, cable dated December 3rd, stated: —“Market very firm, spot price, English, 13d; Dutch, lid to Is 3d; frozen lltld.” Dalgety and Co. also notified that the local market still remained at 6 l-sd. Some companies had already reduced their price in certain districts to 5R The chairman explained that on the London price farmers would now b'e netting 8M per lb., f.o.b. Small Birds. The depredations of small birds in the Feilding district was mentioned by Mr. McFarland who thought something should be done to reduce their numbers. A position had almost been reached when it was practically impossible to grow crops because of the birds consuming the seed. Poisoning was a remedy but it needed system and compulsion to secure any decent effect. The County Councils at one time used to buy birds’ eggs but of late years the practice had been dropped. The chairman suggested that the County Councils be approached in an endeavour to get them to re-adopt the scheme of purchasing eggs as in past years. This action was decided upon.