Poultry Farmers RISE IN CHICK LEVY SUGGESTED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31633, 20 March 1968, Page 8

Poultry Farmers RISE IN CHICK LEVY SUGGESTED

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr D. J. Carter) will ask the Government caucus to allow the Poultry Board to increase its chick levy.

At the annual conference | of the New Zealand Registered Poultryfarmers in Christchurch yesterday, Mr Carter said that because poultry breeders wanted the levy increased from up to Isc a chick to up to 30c a chick, he would bring the matter to caucus this week. The increase would replace the bran and pollard levy imposed by the board, which would be abolished from March 31. Mr Carter said that if the increase were approved, the extra 15c would be used for the egg scale contract scheme and would be used for a reserve fund to boost producer returns during slack price

>eriods and also for administrative purposes. “Personally, I would prefer a small levy to be made on eggs as well as chicks, but if the conference wants just a chick levy increase, then I am ail behind it,” Mr Carter said. Mr Carter said he thought the levy would not take long to come into effect, if it were approved by the Government. There was considerable discussion on the chick levy at the conference and several remits on the subject were presented. It was agreed that an increased chick levy was the best method of obtaining extra revenue for the board.