POULTRY FEED PRICES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29001, 16 September 1959, Page 17

POULTRY FEED PRICES

“Strong Protest” To Government A “strong protest’’ will be made to the Government about the variations in the Quality of poultry feed and about the rising prices of wheat and poultry mashes. This was decided by a meeting of the Canter bury-Westland Poultry-Keepers’ Association last evening. Addressing more than 100 persons, the association president (Mr J. M. Powell) said it was costing poultry farmers 4s 6d to produce one dozen eggs. A poultry farmer, who worked 5f hours a week, earned only £6OO a year—“and that net return is still being whittled down.” It was not possible for poultry farmers to buy feed from merchants at competitive prices, said Mr W. G. Waites, the Canterbury producer member of the New Zealand Poultry Board

“We deal with the merchants as individuals when we should do collective buying.”

Ninety per cent, of the under grade grain grown in New Zealand was grown in the Canterbury area, he said. Poultry keepers who were paying for average quality were getting some undergrade. It was the policy of the board to meet the Government regarding the price and quality of wheat but the board had not been able to get anywhere, said Mr Waites.

On his suggestion, the meeting passed the motion protesting to the Government about the variations in the quality of poultry feed and about the rising prices of wheat and poultry mashes.