FINE WOOL OF HIGH COUNTRY FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 249, 18 July 1942, Page 10

FINE WOOL OF HIGH COUNTRY FARMERS

Better Price Favoured A plea for the fine wool-growing high country farmer was made to the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in Wellington on Thursday by Mr. D. H. Cockburn, Queenstown. The conference recommended that the Wool Appraisement Committee give consideration to raising the price for fine wools. Mr. Cockburn said these out-and-out wool-growers had no compensating lines like fat lambs and surplus stock. They represented 5 to 10 per cent of sheepfarmers and produced wool alone under difficult conditions, and costs greater than those of the low country. Their wool seemed to be appraised -below the Dominion average. Some years ago fine wools were considered the better article, for which a higher price was paid. In latter years coarser wools obtained equal, if not better, prices. It was hard to get even provincial averages of wool types, but he had those of certain clips. He had the 194 - -41 aud 1941-42 average of a first-class high-country farmer with a well-bred and cared for Merino and half-bred nock. Ihis average was 11.63 d. Another place averaged 10.026 d. A typical 3000-sheep place in Otago Central, with a 54 to 60’s count, averaged ll?d. A 6000-sheep place in the same locality, typical and well-man-aged, averaged 11.8od. Mr. R. G. Gerard, Rakaia, said he had seen the accounts of two of the largest bask country places—among the best at one stage—and they were going back steadily. It was almost impossible to get men, and above award wages had to be paid. , The Dominion president, Mr. W. W. Mulholland, said the years immediately before the commandeer were not taken as a basis of the price. The British Government paid an average price, whether for dags or finest, of 12.23 d., with 15 per cent. To be added. If the years immediately preceding the commandeer had been taken by the appraisement committee, it would have practically closed out the fine wool growers. It was decided to find a year most nearly corresponding, to tlie range of values. The year taken was 1928, -because it was stated to give a fair range of values over the whole of the wools of New Zealand. He did not think it would be right to adjust the difficulties of one section by an artificial adjustment. It would certainly not be fair to ask one section to subsidize another. He knew that the South Island high country farmers, particularly in Otago, were not satisfied, but so far they had not -been able to give him sufficient information which would provide concrete evidence of a range of values. The price of individual clips was no good because of the variations, specially in the high country, and in extreme seasons. The case for the high country farmer was very real. He had a tremendous pile of costs, and would continue to have these. Mr. H. 13. Hewlett, Whangarei, said the war demand was for strong crossbred wools, but after the war there would probably be a reversion to fine, and the coarse wool growers would suffer. It seemed impossible to get an accurate value from year to year which would be fair to all. Mr. ,T. E. Elliot, Middlemnrch, said it ' would be a fine gesture for one section of I sheepfarmers to come to the aid of their I brothers, who were solely dependent on their wool cheques.