SUPPORT PRICE FOR PIG MEAT

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27566, 25 January 1955, Page 10

SUPPORT PRICE FOR PIG MEAT

INDUSTRY DISTURBED AT DELAY

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

"The Press’’ Special Service WELLINGTON, January 24. The pig industry is becoming very disturbed at the continued delay in introducing a support price for export meat, in particular for pig meats, according to a statement made today by Mr D. J. Carter, chairman of the New Zealand Pig Producers’ Council.

“It may not be generally appreciated,” he said, “that pig meat pricel have fallen by nearly 25 per cent below contract levels and if this price reduction does not merit the aid of support prices then it is difficult to imagaine circumstances that would. There appears to be a certain reluctance on the part of the departments concerned to get on with the job of framing a suitable scheme; the result of negotiations to date appears to have yielded little and seems to have been surrounded with an attitude of apathy.”

Mr Carter said that although the Pig Producers’ Council had been informed of developments it seemed that, with the prices for other meats remaining above contract levels, a delayed action policy was being followed in respect of the general meat support price scheme. It was apparent that there was no real obstacle in the way of introducing a scheme immediately and with the major portion of the export pig killing season still ahead it was 1o be hoped that the Minister of Agriculture (Mr K. J. HolyoakO, would take the initiative in ensuring that a scheme was drafted and put into effect without further delay. The pig industry was assured when the decision was, taken to terminate the contract that a support price scheme would be implemented this season if required, and the industry now felt that the time had arrived for this undertaking to be honoured, said Mr Carter. An assurance from the Minister of Agriculture that a support price scheme would be operated before the end of the current season would not only cushion the pig industry against the full impact of the lower realisations under free marketing, but also allay the feeling that the pig industry had been obliged to accept the greatest risk in the return to free marketing in order that the other sections of the meat industry could benefit. It appeared, that unless some relief by way of support prices was forthcoming immediately the pig industry might have to consider ways and means of obtaining greater marketing stability for its producers.