Farmers warned against relaxing

Press, 16 November 1988, Page 14

Farmers warned against relaxing

PA Palmerston North Farmers can take little heart from recent trends in the agricultural sector and no-one can afford to relax, Federated Farmers’ Rangitikei president, Mr Bruce Beard, says.

Speaking to a provincial meeting at Ohingaiti, Mr Beard said international competitiveness had improved slightly with inflation below some of New Zealand’s trading partners, with a lower dollar and good wool and dairy returns — though the wool market was now hesitating. “However no-one, absolutely noone, can afford to relax,” he said.

“The sheepmeats scene is still an unmitigated disaster. Slight improvements in carcase values have been more than offset by declining pelt values and opening schedules have been significantly lower than last season.” While there was hope that agriculture might have turned the corner, the relief of the last few months only took farming back to where it had been three and four years ago.

“Those who have been hanging on may be able to strengthen their grip, but it probably will not be enough to stabilise those who have been slipping.”

Mr Beard outlined four courses of action the industry needed to pursue.

“We must continue to pressure, cajole, lobby and threaten to bring other sectors of the economy into line regarding efficiency and productivity.”

The federation had been lobbying to bring the waterfront into the 1980 s, had been pressuring the freezing industry to adopt technology, “and the dairy industry has found itself in a battle to maintain productivity and processing practices to sustain a viable industry,” he said.