Farmers’ stand questioned

Press, 25 October 1985, Page 26

Farmers’ stand questioned

PA Wellington Federated Farmers’ support for the Meat Board’s plans to shut private sector meat exporters out of the marketplace is extremely difficult to understand, says the Meat Industry Association’s chairman, Mr Joe Ryan.

The board was acting against the wish of the Meat Industry Council, which had confirmed the need for a return of sheepmeats marketing to private enterprise, he said on Tuesday.

The council also had said there was a need to return to the status quo in order to avoid unnecessary dislocation of markets. The status quo meant the continuance of the group marketing system for the Middle East and the Mediterranean. “In defiance of that constructive attitude of the

Meat Industry Council, the Meat Board has decided to refuse the release of product to group companies and operate in those market areas exclusively itself,” Mr Ryan said. “Not only does this action dislocate and upset the market and go directionally against the agreed plan for the future but it also represents an oppressive abuse of statutory power by the Meat Producers’ Board and the gaining of a commercial advantage for the future,” he said.

“The support of Federated Farmers for these destructive actions is extremely difficult to understand when one views the revenue returns to farmers resulting from three years of Meat Producers’ Board control of sheepmeats marketing’