THE FARMERS' PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 182, 3 August 1932, Page 4

THE FARMERS' PROBLEM.

HEAVY MARKETING COSTS.

PIGS AND BOBBY CALVES.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

DARGAVILLE, Tuesday.

The question of costs of marketing pigs and calves was mentioned at a meeting of the Dargaville Chamber of Commerce by Mr. T. G. Evison, organiser of the Pig Marketing Association. The rate of killing, he said, formerly charged at %d per lb by the Auckland municipal abattoirs, has been altered to a flat rate of 4/1 per pig from 601b to 1201b. It practically meant an increase from %d to Id per lb. The Home market was asking 'for light-weight pigs, and just when farmers were endeavouring to meet the requirements of that market the cost of killing wae more than doubled. He did not know that the farmer had any redress, j

The president, Mr. P. W. Hill, instanced that the "bobby" calf trade was in jmich the same position. A farmer could only expect an advance of 6d per calf. The calf wae valued at about 7/3, f.o.b. The cost of marketing to f.o.b. was in the vicinity of 6/9 per head. The farmer must keep the calf for three days, and then received only 6d for it. There was, of course, a jprospect of a final payment if prices of ekina rose. The difficulty ie that farmers will not be bothered with calves at 6d each. They will knock them on the head, and a valuable trade, which has been worked up over a period of years will be killed, and it will not be easy to get that trade back again.