Ram slaughter cost objection

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 2

Ram slaughter cost objection

Paying slaughtermen extra money for killing ram lambs was merely a method of increasing wages at the expense of farmers, according to Mr R. W. Davison, chairman of the meat and wool section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers. The payments were unjustified and a threat to the whole farming industry, he told a meeting of his executive on Thursday. The payments added between 30c and 90c a head to the killing charge, he said. Farmers had responded to the call from consumers for meat with a minimum of fat by altering manage-

ment systems and lamb drafting policies. The most effective and simplest change was to leave ram lambs entire, which enabled them to grow heavier with less fat. However, this benefit was being destroyed by the meat industry payments for the slaughter of ram lambs, said Mr Davison. The benefits of ram lamb production had been known for some years, but in spite of urging from producers the clause allowing these payments had not been negotiated out of the Meat Workers’ Award. The matter was referred to the section’s meat com-