DAIRY INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 May 1941, Page 7

DAIRY INDUSTRY

PRESENT DAV POSITION REVIEWED CENTRAL WARD CONFERENCE AT CARTERTON. PAYMENT FOR BUTTER IN STORE. ("Times-Age” Special.) “With faith in the future, courage and confidence we will solve our problems.” said Mr A. Linton, a member of the New Zealand Dairy Board for the Central Ward, when addressing representatives of the dairy industry at the annual ward conference at Carterton yesterday. Mr Linton covered many matters of vital importance to the industry at the present time and gave delegates a confidential outline of the present position. Mr Linton indicated that because of the priority which was being given to cheese, over other classes of produce, it was essential that increased cheese production should be secured next season. and the only question that still awaited settlement was as to the quantify which Great Britain desired. The industry had responded well to the present season’s request for more cheese, and he was sure it would respond again, no matter how great the reorganisation required. The board felt that before going ahead with plans for next season, it would be desirable to have a definite objective of so many thousands of tons of cheese, and it was hoped that in the near future Britain's requirements would be made clear. That was the first fundamental point to be settled. The second was an undertaking on the part of the New Zealand Government that it would pav for the whole of next season’s dairy production. Obviously the industry could not plan its future operations unless it knew what the Government’s purchasing policy was to be.

The board had been in touch with the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, on that point, and while no complete and clear-cut statement had as yet been made, Mr Linton said he believed that it was the intention of the Government to live up to the spirit of the Primary Products' Marketing Act, and pay for all the produce which was manufactured. As delegates knew, Government ownership of the produce was assumed at the f.o.b. stage, and a very serious situation might arise for the industry in the event of lengthy storage prior to shipment. The board had suggested that the basis of payment. should be 50 per cent after the produce had been six weeks in store, and the balance after it had been three months in store. The Minister of Marketing had not agreed to that suggestion but Jiad replied stating that the Government recognised a special obligation to the dairy industry, and in-1 cheating that if conditions were abnormal the Government would discuss the' matter with the board. It would really' be much better if the matter could be decided at once. A definite announcement would be helpful, particularly if they were called upon to reorganise the industry to produce more cheese.

If the British Government desired a further substantial increase in cheese output Mr Linton said he knew that the industry would be right out to do the job. There would, however, be some fundamental questions of policy that would need to be decided upon, such, for instance, as the policy to be followed in the years following the war. and he thought that the best plan would be for the board to formulate a policy and then call together a Dominion dairy conference to consider it. Full support was given by the conference to the Dairy Board's proposal that the Government should pay 50 per cent of the value of butter after six weeks in store and the balance when the butter had been 3 months in store. Mr Linton also referred to the work carried out by the board in connection with the supply of butter boxes.

Mr W. Wilson, Carrington, was reelected as the ward's delegate to the Dominion Conference.