‘lnjustice’ to wheat producers

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 22

‘lnjustice’ to wheat producers

'pA Wellington ■ The time had come for a review of the wheat pricing system, the under-aecreury to the Minister of AgriculI ture (Mr Talbot) has said. "The present system for setting wheat prices is outi dated and does an injustice to I wheat producers,” he told I the agriculture section of Mid-Canterbury Federated Farmers at Ashburton. The economic division of I the Ministry of Agriculture had already done some work ion a new pricing system and Ihad devised a range of possible pricing structures.

Mr Talbot said he hoped that one of the possible outcomes of a new price fixing formula would be reduced Government involvement and increased producer involvement. He wanted the producers to take more responsibility for the pricing decisions they made.

“The less Government involvement in the production and marketing aspects of ag riculture, the more virile that industry will be.”

Mr Talbot said any new pricing scheme would have to ensure that as much wheat was grown locally as possible to give New Zealand food security. But it wrauld also have to provide for flexibility’ in wheat prices, take into account the international price, encourage efficiency in the industry and stop the need for a constant reviewing of the wheat price which was necessary each year.