Schedule Prices To Be Examined

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32077, 27 August 1969, Page 26

Schedule Prices To Be Examined

(From Our Own Reporter )

WELLINGTON, August 26.

Many references were made at the Meat Board meeting to the disparity between schedule prices for lamb in New Zealand and realisations in Britain during the present export season.

The chairman (Sir John. Ormond) said that at the end' of the selling season the board would examine the results for the whole season: a clear statement of the facte would then be published. Twice in the last season the board had said publicly that it was not happy with prices that farmers were receiving for their lamb. These comments had helped) to maintain the schedule atj a higher level than might; have otherwise been the case,’ said Sir John Ormond. “Valuable Check” | The board had laid down asl a matter of policy that any firm which borrowed money to develop facilities within the industry must disclose its accounts and its costs. This would be a valuable eheck on killing charges. For years they had discussed these charges but had not been able to get ri front of; them tiie figures that they; required.

I Mr D. M. Land (Hawke’s i Bay) suggested that on the i basis of profits on processing as indicated by rebate payments from co-operative works, and the difference between schedule prices in New Zealand and sales made on owner’s account, there could be a margin this season of about 850 m. Lower Prices

I Mr W. B. Trotter (South I Canterbury) said that even i after the schedule had gone

;up 4c a pound as a result of Meat Board comment he jhad made a profit of $1.20. Mr T. McCristeH (South Otago) said he believed that the investigation into the schedule would show that the margin between the New Zealand and United Kingdom prices was the method that exporters were using to recover part of the lower prices that they received on other markets, where they were ; forced to diversify their sales.