'Authority should set pork prices'

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 21

' Authority should set pork prices'

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 26.

An independent authority should be established to set the prices paid to farmers for their pigs, according to the report by the one-man Committee of Investigation into Pig Marketing and Trading.

This is the main recommendation of the report prepared by Mr A. H. Nordmeyer at the request of the Pork Marketing Board. A spokesman for the Pork 'lndustry Council (Mr D. Yerex) said that the council supported the suggestion. The report had been called for because over the years farmers had felt there were anomalies in pig marketing, prices varying from area to area. As well, there had been discontent over fanners’ lack of say in the marketing of their product. Other recommendations included were:— That all pigs should be branded at birth and only branded pigs be accepted for slaughter. That the Pig Marketing Authority should increase its proportion of the market or alternatively that producer cooperatives be set up. That all pig producers should be registered. i

That a campaign be started, region-by-region to eradicate all pig diseases. Mr Yerex said Mr Nord■meyer heard representations [from producer groups, wholesalers. meat retailers, bacon I curers and the Ministry of i Agriculture. He said the report was being distributed to producers and will almost certainly result in remits to the .annual pork industry conIference in July.