Live-sheep exports

Press, 1 November 1978, Page 24

Live-sheep exports

Sir, — The export of mutton as live sheep is uneconomic, and not generally desired by farmers, but after seasons such as that experienced last year when farmers up and down the country were forced by drought and needless freezing works stoppages to hold hundreds of thousands of old ewes while their value dropped and they consumed costly feed, how can Mr Cameron and his unionists dictate whether the country be allowed to export live sheep if such a market exists? I would suggest that the Canterbury Meat Workers’ Union is not yet the Government of this country. — Yours, etc., G. A. INCH. Oxford. October 26, 1978. Sir, — Who governs this country, the elected party or the unions? The F.O.L. ’still bans trade with Chile which is losing New Zealand an overseas market. We now have the Canterbury Meat Workers’ Union stopping the export of sheep. I always believed the owner of an article could sell it to whom he wished. The farmers own the sheep, and if they wish to sell to a company which will export them live they should be able to. The union does not at any stage own the sheep so it has no right to make its own rules on their sale. It would be rather nice to see a market open up to provide some competition for sheep and, if it is going to have an effect on the unions, so what? The union does not consult farmers when its members go on strike but that affects the farmers. — Yours, etc., L. RENNIE. Springston. October 24, 1978.