PRICE OF MILK

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21726, 7 March 1936, Page 25

PRICE OF MILK

10 TUB EDITOR OF THB PRESS.

Sir —I see by a recent article in «The’Press” that Mr Savage, the Prime Minister, intends to fix the price of butter-fat. . . . I wonder what is being done about fixing the price of milk, which is an cciually essential job. The job proved far too big for the Christchurch Dairymen's Association, which was formed last year. It met and fixed the price of milk for this city, and then broke its own ruling shortly afterwards —a proceeding which has gone on for years now, the members cutting one another’s price to get the trade, and at the present rate at which milk has come down to, namely, 6d a gallon on the farm, it is hard for the producer to make even relief wages on his dairy farm. It is an . entirely different proposition producing a supply of milk for the city and producing cream for butter-making. In fhd first place you must be close to the-city, on land which carries a high valuation, and therefore high rents and rates. Second, you must keep up an even supply of milk throughout the year, which is a very costly thing to do. necessitating replacing a eonsicteraVAe number o£ cosvs each year and growing a great quantity of feed for hand-feeding. So the' price of milk cannot be based with the price of butter-fat. It is a well-known fact that milk carted for any great distance to the city does not go to the public in as. good condition as milk produced handy to the city, and I think it is high time that the small farmer, who produces, a supply of milk for the .city, is, protected by the law. As regards a set price for milk, may I suggest 8d a gallon in the summer and lOd a’ gajlon in the winter, on the farm.— Yours, etc., “ & PRODUCER. March 4, 1936. [This letter was referred to an official of the Christchurch Dairymen’s Association, who said that the task of fixing’ the price of milk was not too big for the association as stated by the correspondent’, but that the association yras not supported by His majority of the dairy farmers. The chief trouble with the milk supply at present was that there Were* too many vendors!, who Indqlged ih* rrice-ihitting. : The ""opinion,, was ex-| pressed, alsorHhatthe price fi gallon® > fof four months of the year Should bes about Is and for the remainder of; the year, 9d. Although it. was admitted that the industry was in a turmoil at present, there was a‘movement, oh: foot endeavouring tb:gct the dairy farmers together to secure a reasonable price to the producer.!