MEAT EXPORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 July 1941, Page 6

MEAT EXPORTS

MINISTER REPLIES TO FARMERS’ UNION REPUDIATION OF PROMISE DENIED. SOME LEADING FACTS & FIGURES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In a statement today, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Barclay) referred to a remit passed last' evening by the Farmers’ Union conference, expressing ■'strong disapproval” of his repudiation of the Government pledge to purchase all exportable meat produced during the season and failure to give any indication of the Government policy for dealing with next season’s production. Mr Earclay recalled a statement by Mr Nash in July last year that the Government would undertake to purchase the normal exportable surplus of meat produced during the season. “In assessing what is a normal exportable surplus, regard must be had to the average export kill over the past few years,” Mr Barclay said. “For instance, the average meat exports for the three years prior to the outbreak of war were 280,700 tons and for the past five years, including the first year cf the war and the present season the average export kill was 300,000 tons. This year, the Government will have guaranteed the purchase. by September 30, of a total of 340,000 tons of export meat. It is quite clear, therefore, that the Government has greatly exceeded its promise. In doing so the Government has shouldered a very heavy financial responsibility, because Britain has agreed to the firm purchase of 248,000 tons only for the present season and there will be- a carry-over of unsold meat to a value of approximately £5,600,000. With, an additional £300,000 for the erection of emergency cool storage and £200,000 to meet the loss incurred by canning certain classes of meat, the New Zealand Government had thus guaranteed the meat industry at the present time to the extent of six million pounds, the Minister said. It wa? clearly premature to request an announcement concerning next season’s production, when the present season had by no means been completed. The season ended on September 30 and before that date an announcement by the Government for next season would be made, after consultation with the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board.