MARKETING OF WHEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10350, 14 March 1925, Page 3

MARKETING OF WHEAT

FAR PEERS' ASSOCIATION. FORMATION ADVOCATED. ASHBURTON UNION'S VIEWS. The wheat position was discussed by the Mid-Canterbury executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday. The meeting was favourable to the formation of a marketing association, and decided to collect information from the executives of North and South Canterbury, and of Otago if necessary, for presentation to next meeting. The president (Mr John Brown) and Messrs A. P. Bruce and J. Oarr (vice-presidents) were deputed to take action. The Wheat Board notified that it would go out of existence as soon as the surplus stocks of 1923-24 were disposed of. If farmers wished to form a marketing association for wheat they were recommended to do so immediately, as past experience had proved that these matters were taken up too late to be of use in the coming season. The chairman said that, taking all things into consideration, millers could afford to pay at least 7s a bushel on trucks for wheat. He gave details of the recent conference in Christchurch, and of meetings at Methven and Greenstreet, which advocated a voluntary wheat pool or marketing association for the protection of growers' interests. Farmers were now forced by the combination of millers to pool their resources. Farmers should have reliable information as to markets, in order to get the proper value. It was an absolute farce for farmers to grow wheat and then ask the millers what price they would give for it. Did a builder erect a house and then ask what price would be given him by the huyer ? No. The builder stated his firnrre at the start. The farmer should be allowed to do tin's also. It was peculiar that the millers, who dc~ended upon the farmers for wheat, should set themselves so firmly against any increase of the present price. If the millers could convince the fanners that 6s 9d for Tuscan was the real market price, the men on the land would sell. Fanners required a marketing association, the formation of which" would require levies. If farmers could obtain accurate information as to the price of flour in Australia, the price Dominion farmers should be paid for wheat could be ascertained. He had noted in thr- "Guardian" last week that Christchurch merchants said flourcould be imported from Australia at £l4 12s 6d a ton. On another page of the journal a. message from Sydney quoted £l6 10s as the wholesale price of flour. He had nointed out the discrepancy to the Minister of A«ric-ul-turo (the Hon. W. Nosworthy) as being misleading to farmers. Thjfe demonstrated the necessity for reliable information.

Mr F. G. Evans said he had always advocated a free market, but when doino; so he had had no idea of the strength of the millers' organisation, the activities of which, he believed, extended beyond the Dominion.

The Greenstreet Resolution. At a meeting of the Greenstreet branch of the union the following motion was carried unanimously: "That this branch strongly recommends the .Mid-Canterbury executive to formulate some scheme for a marketing association, to combat the strong combination of the Millers' Association, whereby farmers can get the market value for their wheat." There were about ten members present. Mr F. J. Evans presided.