Boards reject Govt request for funds

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32564, 25 March 1971, Page 1

Boards reject Govt request for funds

A suggestion from the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Carter) that half of the cost of the s4Bm brucellosis eradication scheme be provided from the meat industry’s capital funds was yesterday rejected by the meeting of the electoral committee of the Meat and Wool boards in Wellington, the Press Association reported.

The first of two resolutions passed by the committee was that it view with concern any depletion of the industry’s reserve account capital fund.

In this instance, therefore, the committee did not support the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture that the Meat Board should pay any part of the costs of the Government brucellosis eradication scheme.

However, the committee would favourably consider any proposal that the Meat Board should assist the Government with loan finance for this project. The second resolution said that in view of the fact that restrictions on brucellosisaffected stock could be imminent from some meatimporting countries, the committee urgently requested the Government immediately to implement their scheme for the eradication of brucellosis as recommended by the Department of Agriculture. The electoral committee’s rejection of the scheme as proposed in Mr Carter’s letter is expected to be discussed by the Meat Board tomorrow.

Canterbury fanners showed no enthusiasm for the Government suggestion. Delegates at a meeting of the meat and wool section executive of Worth Canterbury Federated Farmers said that the brucellosis problem was a national one and should be tackled by the entire country. The delegates agreed that while the reserves of the Meat Board were adequate—about $6O million —they should not be weakened by use for purposes other than what they were for when first established. Die reserves had been set aside to cope with fluctuations in the meat market and to sponsor substantial marketing promotions. One delegate said it was not known whether the true beef farmer or the dairy farmer would benefit from the spending. ' At yesterday’s meeting, the vice-president (Mr B. Palmer) appealed to farmers to close ranks behind fanning leaders in the face of stiff pressure from other quarters. Mr Palmer said that people in secondary industry appeared to consider it their divine right to have cheap food no matter how it affected the producer.

He said the economic pressure on farmers was world wide. In New Zealand the Meat Board and the Wool Board had grave problems to face. It was therefore necessary to have every expression of loyalty from farmers.