PRICE FOR LAMBS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23537, 15 January 1942, Page 3

PRICE FOR LAMBS

POSITION OF FREEZING

COMPANIES A claim that competition between freezing companies had been eliminated as a result of the petrol restrictions, and that farmers were not going to receive such a good price for their lambs, was made by Mr I. L. M. Coop at a meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers' Union yesterday. He said that farmers had to send their iambs to the same works as last year, and the Government had brought out a schedule of prices by which the freezing companies had to abide. “The petrol restrictions were never brought in to bring a thing like that about,’’ added Mr Coop. “The agricultural farmer is going to get petrol to take his crop out and put next year’s in: but I don’t think the sheepfarmer is getting as good a deal as the agricultural farmer. There should still be competition among the works for lambs.'’ The executive decided to write to u:t Meat Producers' Board pointing out that farmers were concerned at the complete elimination of all competition between freezing companies brought about by the petrol restrictions. particularly as regards the tying of producers to one works. It was also agreed to ask what provision had been made to repay to sheepfarmers any surplus of moneys in the pool which had been formed to cover any loss in subsidising the prices for old ewes.