PORK PRICES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 November 1939, Page 3

PORK PRICES

BRITAIN’S OFFER SATISFACTORY.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) HAMILTON, October 29.

“The Imperial Government offer of 7id a lb, f.0.b., fol- New Zealand's surplus of exportable pork must be regarded as a very satisfactory one,’' said Mr W. A. Phillips, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Co-oper-ative Pig Marketing Association, Ltd., today. Producers, he added, must bear in mind the recent rises in ovci-seas freight and insurance, amounting to bvei- id per lb, when considering the price oftered. Under existing handling conditions and buying practice the “on hooks” New Zealand equivalent would enable a considerably higher payment to be made to the farmer than the avoi-age price ruling last year. It would appear from Mr Nash's statement, said Mr Phillips, that an undertaking had been given to the Imperial Government that the grading of all meat would, during the period of the contract, be kept under strict control. It could therefore be assumed that the existing trading practice of paying differential rates for quality within the specified grade ranges would be continued. Such a course was desirable if the prestige now enjoyed by th 6 New Zealand produce oh the English market ’was lb be preserved.

Though the Imperial Government had now acceeded to the New Zealand producers’ requests to take pbhker weights down to GOlb, the purchase of this rahge of pork had been limited to 25 per cent of New Zealand’s total exports. The special consideration shown in respect of this aspect of the position would be greatly appreciated by producers, who would, however, require all the assistance they could obtain to carry 75 per cent of their production to dead-weights of over 1001 b.