MEAT INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1941, Page 9

MEAT INDUSTRY

ECONOMIC STABILITY PURCHASE GUARANTEED. CONTRACT WITH BRITAIN ißy Telegraph—-Press Association.! WELLINGTON. This Day. ' To maintain the economic stability of the meat industry in New Zealand as far as possible the Government has decided to guarantee to all buyers of export meat that it will be purchased ultimately by the New Zealand Government. irrespective of the final contract conditions concluded with the United Kingdom. This statement was made last evening by the Minister of Marketing. Mr. Barclay, who explained that at the present time New Zealand's meal contract with the United Kingdom Government to cover the current season had not yet been completed, but that every effort was being made to reach finality and negotiations were proceeding daily. He added that he, would make a further statement when the negotiations between the Government and the meat interests were complete. Mr. Barclay said the main purpose of his statement was to place before the farmers the main facts of the present position as it related to purchases of meat by the United Kingdom Government, the effect of restricted shipping. and the firm intention of the Government to maintain as far as possible the economic stability of the meat, producing industry. It would be remembered that the Government, through the Prime Minister. Mr. Fraser, and the Minister of Finance. Mr. Nash, had from time to time expressed its intention to finalise conditions when the necessity arose under which all the meat produced in the Dominion during the 1940-41 killing season would be purchased at the standard f.o.b. prices published by the Marketing Department. DELAY UNAVOIDABLE. “We must realise that the Old Country at the present time is carrying an immense burden under conditions of the utmost difficulty, and for this reason we must be content to accept a delay which is unavoidable but which we know the British Government will terminate just as soon as it is possible to do so." said the Minister. "Most farmers will be thoroughly conversant with Lord Woolton's recent statement, announcing that because of the present shipping circumstances it is inevitable that fewer ships can come to New Zealand and Australia during the present year than it was possible to send last year, and that this means a restriction in the volume of our exports, particularly those which depend upon refrigerated space. "In a memorandum to our High Commissioner in London, Lord Woolton stated that it was the intention of the British Government to lift all the meat from New Zealand that was humanly possible. The New Zealand Government is fully confident that mis promise made on behalf of the British Government will be implemented to the fullest extent. Therefore the present position as regards the export of our meat can be simply stated as being dependent entirely on the amount of refrigerated shipping space which can be provided during the current year. GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION. In view of all these circumstances, and in view also of the New Zealand Governments intention to maintain the economic stability of the meat industry in New Zealand as far as it is possible, we have decided to guarantee to all buyers of export meat that it will be purchased ultimately by the New Zealand Government irrespective of the final contract conditions concluded with the United Kingdom. Tentative proposals have already been discussed between the Government and the meat interests. and administrative machinery to implement the Government's promise is in the course of preparation. Producers can rest assured that all details will be finalised in the shortest possible time, and the arrangements will be such that operators will be able to continue their normal activities without undue inconvenience to themselves or to producers.