SHARP DROP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 September 1943, Page 6

SHARP DROP

IN MIRV PRODUCTION RATIONING OF BUTTER LIKELY MR A. LINTON'S FIGURES “The Government has not faced up to he manpower problem,” stated Mr A. Linton, a member of the New Zealand Dairy Board at today’s meeting of the Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union, when referring to the dairy production figures as being unsatisfactory. Mr Linton said that although the monetary value of dairy exports had increased there had been a reduction of 10 per cent for the year ending July 3L, 1942, and a reduction of 11.7 per cent for the year ending July 31, 1943. In August, 1943, production had dropped for that month by an additional 23 per cent. Although in some areas climatic conditions had contributed to the position, the greater part of the dairy areas of the Dominion had not had bad climatic conditions. Although Mr McLagan. Minister of National Service, had said that 8,000 men had been released for the dairy industry, the industry had not received any. The Featherston Dairy Company had advertised for ten men for cheesemaking and had not been able to secure a single man. Some factories were working their men seven days a week. Although men from the Air Force and university students were to be released for short periods it was not satisfactory. Throughout the Dominion, said Mr Linton, dairy farmers were reducing their herds to the number that they could efficiently handle with a shortage of labour. Referring to the matter of the rationing of butter. Mr Linton said the Dairy Board had been consulted by the Government and had advised the Government to ration butter immediately at the rate of Bozs per head per week, but the Government had not yet taken action. Mr Linton said the sale of cream would have to be regulated. To meet the demand for butter from England, the Pacific and local consumption, New Zealand would have to produce 153,000 tons of butter. Last year 105,000 tons of butter was exported and in face of labour shortage, and the shortage of fertiliser Mr Linton said he did not think the increase could be reached. The Government he said would have to face up to the position and ration butter and regulate the sale of cream by dairy factories. Mr Linton said the dehydration of butter had been stopped at the request of the British Government. The situation was so grave in England, he added, that secondary and whey butler was being exported to enable England to maintain its ration of 2oz per person per week. With regard to the rationing of meat. Mr Linton said that if the consumption of meat was reduced by one pound per person per week 34,500 additional tons of meat would be available for export.