Tobacco Growers Want Bigger Price Increase

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28268, 4 May 1957, Page 6

Tobacco Growers Want Bigger Price Increase

(New Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, May 3. The New Zealand Tobacco Growers’ Federation has been advised by the Price Tribunal that this season’s basic average price for flue-cured tobacco leaf will be 4s IJd per lb, an increase of a halfpenny on last year’s figure. The price for air cured leaf will je 3s 9d per lb. Mr W. Wills, chairman of the federation, said today that the growers’ organisation had applied for a price of not less than 4s 3|per lb for flue cured leaf, to bring it up to the figure determined by the rural economy division of the Department of Agriculture as the cost of production. At a hearing in Wellington on Tuesday, said Mr Wills, federation representatives strongly objected to the tribunal’s price proposals and grave concern was felt by them that uncorroborated evidence was produced by a member of the tribunal regarding the incomes of a large group of growers “The action of the Price Tribunal in declining to approve a price in accordance with the impartial costing of the rural economy division has been the subject of representations to the Minister in charge of the industry

(Mr Halstead) and discussions are to take place soon on an alternative method of fixing the price,” said Mr Wills.