Farmers ‘do not want subsidies’

Press, 2 November 1981, Page 19

Farmers ‘do not want subsidies’

PA Auckland Farmers do not want me millions of dollars in subsidies that taxpayers are paying in supplementary minimum prices for meat and wool, according to the chairman of Allied Farmers’ Co-operative, Ltd, Mr D. L. Hazard. He said that the support prices were a political manoeuvre by the Government to avoid facing the real issue that New Zealand was living beyond its income. The subsidies are expected to give farmers between $l5O million and $2OO million and will boost the profits of Allied Farmers’ Co-opera-tive.

Mr Hazard said, “Of course it will benefit our company. It must do because if you are feeding money into the farming industry you are

helping the farmers and so you are helping us.” But, said Mr Hazard, Government support prices which guaranteed farmers prices well above the present market level were not the right answer to farmers’ problems. “We are not happy to see a change of Government policy to direct subsidies and we do not think the farmers want it. They say, ‘Sure, we are having a rough spin, we need the money, but we would rather not take it in this way.’ “The move to a direct subsidy is a bit of a watershed for farmers. They are an independent and competent bunch and would much prefer to take their chance on the market, up or down. This is a much healthier attitude than taking on a direct subsidy.”