FARMERS’ UNION HAS 1,510 NEW MEMBERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 361, 23 May 1928, Page 13

FARMERS’ UNION HAS 1,510 NEW MEMBERS

WHEAT-GROWERS’ POSITION INCREASED PRODUCTION (From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, To-day. Reviewing: the work of the Auckland j Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Hamilton to-day, the president, Mr. A. A. Ross, ' remarked on the advance of the j union’s power through increased membership. On April 30, 1927, there were ; 2,563 financial members, and on the I same date this year the membership totalled 4,073, an increase of 1,510. A { further 515 orders from new members had been received. Farming, as a whole, was in a flourishing condition, as regards production j and prices, yet the position was still j unsatisfactory. All records had been broken this j year in grain production, but it was to be regretted that duties and restrictions on imports were necessarv to keep the industry alive. Owing to the precarious position of wheat-grow- I ers and the increase in price the pig ! and poultry industries were languishing and the only hope for them was j feed at a natural price level. Wool had increased in both production and demand, and fat lambs had been proved to be a lucrative side-line for the sheep-farmer. Prospects for the export of beef were much better owing to the prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease in the Argentine. The volume of dairy produce, in spite of an extremely dry season, was almost equal to last year’s, which was well above previous records. Fruit, too, had been exported in greater quantities and was now a flourishing trade. Full recognition of the principle of long-dated amortisation loans to farmers was a long step toward the union’s ambitions in regard to farmers’ finance. A great deal, however, still remained to be done.