Call For Changed Policy On Farming

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31062, 18 May 1966, Page 8

Call For Changed Policy On Farming

(N«w Zealand Pres* Association) AUCKLAND, May 17. A revolutionary change in Government policy would be necessary to cope with the almost certain entry of Britain into the European Economic Community, the chairman of the meat and wool section of Auckland Federated Farmers (Mr W. R. Martin) told the annual conference today.

If the government really wanted extra production, now was the time to give farmers some real incentives, he said. “We need a liberal trade policy with a reduction of tariff barriers and restrictive import policies against countries which take the bulk of our exports, if our farmers are to sell competitively abroad,” he said. “If we continue to restrict imports and raise tariff barriers against our best and potential customers, New Zealanders might find themselves on the bread-line in a land of unparalleled scope for food production." Tariff protection for secondary industry here had more and more seriously affected farmers’ ability to compete on a world market. New Zealand spent £3 million a year on wool promotion, yet the Government restricted the importation of woollen piece goods. It was

absurd to promote a product and then refuse to import it. said Mr Martin.

Hides and pelts were of great exchange value, yet New Zealand imported synthetics to compete with leather.

In the light of the restriction of wool imports, Mr Martin said, he expected the Gov ernment would also place a restrictive tariff on leather imports. ’Mr Martin said the Meat Industry Reserve Account belonged to and had been built up by farmers. Yet, when South Canterbury farmers wished to borrow from it to build a fertiliser works, the Government insisted on very strict financial requirements from those farmers.

Farmers had to pay the best customer rates to use their own money and the Government had the controlling say in the use of that money No other industry seemed subject to such Government interference.