THE FREEZING SEASON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 10684, 30 December 1925, Page 7

THE FREEZING SEASON.

OPENING OF THE WORKS. FARMERS' RESENT DELAY

At a meeting of Pendarves residents on Monday evening considerable dissatisfaction was expressed concerning the failure of the freezing companies to open their works before Christmas, as in other seasons. The decision of the companies had been adhered to in spite of repeated representations from farmers on the coast lands that large numbers of lambs were ready for killing. it was pointed out that feed along the coast was likely to go off quickly if dry weather should continue, and therefore lambs would suffer accordingly. Tho big lambs have now become hard and will have to be put on rape, thus taking the feed that was badly needed for the later lambs. If the present dry weather continues tho prospect of good rape crops is very poor, while grass is disappearing everywhere. Speakers at the meeting said it was hard for farmers to understand the attitude of tho companies, as the opening of the works for a week at the time asked for would have taken all the top lambs and relieved the position. It was not asked that tho lambs should bo shipped 1 immediately, but only that they should be killed and left on the hooks until tho time was suitable for export. It was declared that the companies had been only too glad in other seasons to get lambs as early as possible, and it was a big blow to the early lamb producers to be turned down in this way by the works.