Farmers battle to feed stock as works strikes start

Press, 8 March 1978, Page 1

Farmers battle to feed stock as works strikes start

As freezing workers stopped work yesterday, farmers in central Canterbury were attending meetings with Ministry of Agriculture officers to discuss how best to keep their stock alive and producing over the next few months if the drought continues.

Farmers’ 'feed problems have been aggravated this season because often they have not been able to get lambs killed when ready. Also farmers have had to retain old ewes, no longer wanted for breeding, much longer than they would have desired because no space has been available to have them killed. The news that the works had stopped was not received with much enthusiasm. One farmer attending a meeting at Charing Cross (in MidCanterbury) said that rams should not be put out with the ewes this season. Keeping the rams locked up would mean no lambs for the works to kill next season, but it is unlikely

that many farmers could follow that piece of advice. They would have to forgo an important part of their income, which they could well need after the extra costs they may incur in buying feed. Yesterday’s stoppage was • extremely disappointing as until now meat workers in Canterbury had performed very well this season after a late start, said the provincial president of North Canterbury Federated Farmers (Mr P. G. Morrison). The latest stoppage came just when a start was being made to kill old ewes that had been cluttering farms and eating vital feed needed for breeding stock. Because of

the drought, this stock must be killed as soon as possible. “We sincerely hope that union leaders will recognise this, that good sense will prevail, and that there will be no more of these stoppages,” said Mr Morrison. The chairman of the Amuri branch of Federated Farmers (Mr R. P. Steele), whose members live in one of the driest parts of the province, said that it might be only a one-day stoppage but not even one day’s killing could be wasted if relief were to be given to farms. The provincial executive of North Canterbury Federated Farmers has been looking at ways to improve and to bring up to date the Government’s

drought relief system. Mr Morrison said that feed supplies on most farms were “almost nonexistent.” His executive had been discussing with the Ministry of Agriculture and district members of Parliament what measures could be taken to help farmers to feed their stock. In the past, drought relief assistance had been of minimal value and it was now well outdated, he said. Suggested improvements included additional assistance for the cartage of feedstuffs and stock which had to be sent away to grazing and assistance with the purchase of feed. Mr Morrison said that an executive sub-com-mittee had been set up to explore the possibility of

helping fanners. and would soon report back. Earlier, ederated Farmers had held discussion* with transport, shipping, and freezing companies to see whether stock, particularly old ewes, could be killed beyond the proven se dry conditions had developed in the rest of the c-untry, this scheme had fallen down. The feeling is growing among farmers that the Government should help with part of the cost of grain bought to feed stock during the drought. Grain is seen as one of th few feeds available, and one of the most suitable, but is too expensive at present prices to use for more than a short time. Continued on Page 3 j