Farmers' views on meat works licensing sought

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 17

Farmers ' views on meat works licensing sought

The licensing of meat works on economic grounds should be removed, says the meat and wool section executive of the North ’ Canterbury Federated Farmers. The executive chairman (Mr M. R. Murchison) announced this after a discussion in committee on the Meat Amendment Bill, introduced to ' Parliament near the end of the last session.

In the past parties seeking to establish a new works have had to show that it would not unduly affect existing works and that there was an economic need for it. The federation is now seeking the views of farmers before making submissions to the Government on the legislation. Under the bill the Meat Industry Authority will retain its licensing functions but in a reduced form. The North Canterbury section, however, wants to see the open-door policy retained. This is the policy under which a farmer can have his stock killed at the

works of his choice regardless of who he nominates to export the end product. There was some difference of opinion on whether the Meat Board or the Meat Industry Authority should police the policy in the event of any problem, Mr- Murchison said.

It was hoped that by the time the section met next month branches would have formed firm views on this. Ms Ruth Richardson, legal adviser at the headquarters of Federated Farmers in Wellington, said that the bill before Parliament was designed to remove economic licensing of the industry, which could be seen as part of a wider move to remove economic licensing generally, but applicants wishing to establish new works would still have to meet physical standards.

The federation at its annual conference last year had approved the removal of economic licensing, subject to the open-door policy being retained. Ms Richardson said that under the new legislation

rural slaughterhouses, which had been due for “the chop” in 1981, received a lease of life, subject to some limitations. All existing slaughterhouses would be able to coritinue provided they met hygiene requirements, but no new houses could be established. There would be provision for the transfer of rural slaughterhouse licences. >

Ms Richardson told the meeting that the Ministry of Agriculture was likely to be active in seeing that hygiene standards were met by the rural slaughterhouses. There was some feeling at the meeting that this might still spell the end of such establishments and that it might be necessary to specify the required standards.A federation view, according to Ms Richardson, was that the proposed legislation was restrictive and that anyone should be able to apply for a licence to establish a rural slaughterhouse so long as they could meet certain standards.