Task Force objectives accepted

Press, 30 September 1983, Page 24

Task Force objectives accepted

The Dominion Council of the Meat and Wool Section of Federated Farmers this week accepted by more than a two-to-one majority the objectives of the Task Force on the Meat Industry. After considerable debate a motion supporting the Task Force was passed by 66 votes for to 29 against. Among those provinces

which opposed all or part of the Task Force recommendations, particularly the national pool proposal, were Southland, Mid-Canterbury, North Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay. North Canterbury delegates to the council commented that they were surprised at the degree of support from other parts of

the country to the whole of the Task Force recommendations.

Following the Dominion Council meeting, the chairman, Mr Tim Plummer, said the motion passed also endorsed the principle of producer control of the Meat Board and spelt out what was meant by that control.

That is producers should continue to have a majority on the statutory authority controlling the industry, and that authority should be the Meat Board as at present. The council also agreed with the proposal for a Meat Industry Council, which would have an overview on marketing. Other areas where pro-

ducers were concerned and sought more information were accountability, the buy-back proposals and the high cost of meat processing.

Mr Plummer said that the question of a national pool for sheepmeats, while accepted by a majority of the council, gave rise to the most reservations among

many delegates. The council also asked for assurances from the Government on how the recommendations of the Task Force would be put into practice. Reactions to the Task Force recommendations are required by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Maclntyre, by next Monday.