FAT STOCK FOR BRITAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1939, Page 9

FAT STOCK FOR BRITAIN

PROCEDURE TO BE ADOPTED. PRICES PAID TO FARMERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The procedure to be adopted in connection with purchases of fat stock for freezing and shipment to the United Kingdom was announced in a broadcast address last night by the Minister of Marketing, Mr Nash. He said a committee fully representative of all interests had been working on this question, and its recommendation had been accepted by the Government. This was as follows: — "The method of procedure should be that the Marketing Department pay the fixed f.o.b. prices for all classes of meat purchased by the United Kingdom Government to Ihe freezing companies and operators: the price paid to the grower being left in the hands of the trade; the trade to provide the Department of Agriculture with returns showing the prices paid to farmers and what deductions have been made to cover the intervening charges from farm to f.0.b.. together with any further information required in order to enable the department to decide whether the prices being paid are fair and reasonable. The open door to farmers will be maintained, subject probably to conditions which will be laid down by the Marketing Department

involving the possible pooling of farmers' individual consignments."

The Government only accepted this procedure provided the operations of the freezing companies both as regards freezing services and buying operations were subject to an audit either by the Auditor-General or by a private firm of auditors approved of by the Government and reporting to it, said Mr Nash. He felt that the' arrangements agreed upon would work very smoothly indeed and would be of great benefit to all concerned.