Farmers Protest At Cost Rises, Butterfat Payout

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29777, 21 March 1962, Page 14

Farmers Protest At Cost Rises, Butterfat Payout

( NZ. Press Association)

AUCKLAND, March 20.

The parlous financial position of many dairy farmers, brought about by rising costs and no corresponding increase in the basic price for butterfat, was discussed in lively fashion by 200 farmers at a three-hour meeting in Wellsford today. The meeting decided to tell the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) that an immediate increase of 10 per cent, in the basic price for butterfat was justified.

The meeting also decided to ask for a committee of inquiry to investigate all the factors affecting production costs in the dairy industry. The Price-Fixing Authority is to be asked to pay more! attention to the financial post-: tion of dairy farmers whenl deliberating on the price to be paid for butterfat next season.

Mr R. Wooierton, Dominion chairman of Federated Farmers dairy section and president of the Waikato Federated Farmers, said rising costs had made farming un-

it was high time, he said, that Governments of both parties placed more emphasis on agriculture, which had been neglected for the last 29 years.

The deterioration of farmlands in toe Waikato and Taranaki is very marked,” he said. “Money invested in farm* is yielding a poor return. The industry is in a very bad state. And there will be a reaction in the cities in time.” Mr Wooierton criticised past and present Governments for encouraging! secondary industry at the cost of the country. New Zealand farmers, he said, had to pay Is 4d a foot for piping made in this coun-

try, whereas " the same material could be purchased in Australia a*. sfd a foot. This was a difference of 178 per cent.

Better piping at even lower ! prices could be obtained from Japan. "We are trying to sell more of our products to Japan, yet we have 10 factories.in New Zealand producing this pipe,” he said. “We are not allowed to buy from Japan or America where there is a surplus."

Mr Wooierton said a copper wire mill had been established in New Zealand at a cost of £300,000 to supply the needs of the Post Office.

“This firm has been guaran. teed a 15 per cent, dividend every year," he said. "Tnat is the sort of business being fostered by Governments.

“The welfare of farmers has been gradually whittled down over the years. There has been no progressive farm policy with any Government to help farming out of the mess it is in today.” Barbed Wire Mr W R Martin, who presided over the meeting, said galvanised barbed ■wire made in England could be bought by farmers for £2O a ton less than the price for New Zealand-made wire.

Mrs D. G. Russek said farmers had only themselves to blame.

“Your work does not finish when you deliver your cream to the gate or your milk to the tanker,” she said. "I have been appalled at the small attendances at annual meetings of dairy companies. You should take more interest in the marketing of butter.

“W'hy is only one brand of butter available to housewives’ Why is the quality be. low what it was 10 years ago? Why can’t we have different flavours in butter as is done with chocolate and ice cream? Why isn’t butter sold in half-oound and quarter-pound packs? “People are buying butter because it is a necessity—not because they enjoy eating it," she said

Mr W. J. Scott, M.P. for Rodney, warned the meeting that it was dangerous for farmers to talk about monopolies in secondary industry, when the farming industry

had a monopoly in the sale of its products. Farmers, he said, received many benefits which were not given to city people. He listed the following:

(1) Taxation concessions to co-operative dairy companies <2) Subsidies for rural electricity reticulation. (3) School bus services.

(4) Licensing of farmers' trucks.

And there were dozens of others, said Mr Scott