$500,000 Appeal For Farmers In Distress

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 11

$500,000 Appeal For Farmers In Distress

(N.Z.P. A..Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, August 29.

A SNZSOO,OOO appeal to help the 1100 British farmers who suffered worst in the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic last winter because their stock was slaughtered during the first four weeks was launched today by the president of the National Farmers’ Union (Mr G. T. Williams).

Because valuations of slaughtered stock rose sharply as the epidemic ran its long course, those whose farms were first hit received less Government compensation than those affected later, and they were out of business longer than most other fanners. The sum needed for distribution as-supplementary compensation amounts to more than SNZIm. The Government is 1 prepared to make an exgratia payment of about SNZSOO,OOO, subject to the agricultural industry raising a similar amount. Mr Williams said the aim was to help farming families who were in the heart of the worst hit areas.

f “Their farms were among y the last to be freed from re- _ strictions,” he said. They can- “ not be compensated for their s prolonged loss of income, but s they will be doubly hit if a their slaughter compensation 1 payments cannot be raised to s the level of later payments.” i- In the view of the N.F.U., the prolonged epidemic disI- closed a flaw in existing comi- pensation legislation. e The law provides for farmt ers to be compensated for the :• value of the stock slaughtt ered. During past outbreaks e of a more local nature this g had proved satisfactory, but in the prolonged epidemic of 1 last winter, during which s many markets were closed for - months, values became obscure.

; By the end of December, • two months after the first out- ■ break of the disease, it be- ■ came dear that in the abt sence of cattie markets, valI uers were having to guess at i values, and they were assumi ing that in the upset of the ’ supply-and-demand situation. , values would have increased. As a result, higher rates of compensation for similar types, age and quality of stock were being paid than in the first weeks of the epidemic. Farmers who received the lower rates also suffered when the time came to replace their herds, for prices were well up on what compensation they had received.