THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1939, Page 9

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY

A DISMAL RECORD. PRODUCERS BLAMED BY PRESIDENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association ) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The dwindling numbers in the federation stalemate in our efforts to improve the marketing conditions of our industry, the procrastination of the Government and the lack of loyal cooperation within the industry make a very dismal record to iplace before you,” said the president of the New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation, the Rev W. F. Stent, of Carterton, in his address to the federation at its anuual conference in Wellington yesterday. Mr Stent added that in his opinion all these complaints could be reduced to one—lack of numbers in the federation.

“Though there may be about 30.000 owners of 25 birds or more, fewer than half of these register, so that, even with the threat of illegality before them, one out of two shirk their re-, sponsibility,” he said. Where there was no compulsion the proportion of the indifferent was naturally much greater than one to two. Nine' out of every ten registered poultry-farmers were indifferent to the federation.

Reasons given by producers for their apathy could be summed up as follows: —“Too busy . . . What’s the good of it ... . I’m doing all right without them .... Poultry is only a sideline with me . . . Only a waste of money . . . . What have they done, anyway

I’m sick of the whole business.” These producers, however, were often’ the first to demand of the federation immediate action where their interests were personally concerned by shortage" of wheat or pollard or high price of feed and low price of eggs.

“Had all these people lined up with’ the local branch of the federation we could go to the ‘powers that be’ with at least the force of numbers behind us, but at present we have not even that to help us,” said Mr Stent.' “In my opinion poultry-farmers of this country have no one but themselves to blame for the parlous conditions they are suffering. Any Government having pretentions to democratic ideals will listen to the voice of the people, providing there are plenty cf them, and our chaotic conditions of marketing would have ended long ago if the federation had grown in numbers during the last four years. It is the 'apathy, disloyalty and general shortsightedness of the great majority that is the reason for- the procrastination of the Government. Far too often the poultry-farmer has shown himself to be a little man with a little mind and a limited view and with nothin'* big about him except his ‘squeal.’ “In spite of all this,” Mr Stent continued, “I am still hopeful of something being done soon to bring beginnings of order into present chaotic marketing conditions. Your executive has worked wholeheartedly and continuously with the poultry board and is determined to go on striving to this end ....

Make a supreme effort in 1939 to enlighten the vision of your fellows. You know where the weakness is, it is not the Government, it is not the poultry board, it is not the executive, it is the narrow vision of the great majority of your fellows.” The department was fully alive to the possibilities of the poultry industry, but felt that there was not the same unity among producers .as there was among other sections, said the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Lee Martin. In addition, practically half the population kept poultry, the majority only a few birds, and this made organisation difficult. Mr»Martin said that two additional poultry instructors were being appointed. One would assist the present Auckland instructor. The other would be stationed in Dunedin and his services would be available to the Otago and Southland poultry-keepers requiring assistance. The officers were expected to take up their duties almost immediateiy. The Director-General of Agriculture. Mr A. H. Cockayne, who accompanied the Minister, said that he had placed £2OO on the department’s estimates this year for assistance to egg-laying competitions. Whether the estimates were cut down or not, he intended to do his best to see that this sum was not interfered with.