PRODUCE. PRICES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 10

PRODUCE. PRICES

HOW THEY HAVE RISEN

Farmers now have to pay more than' they did before the war for labour and supplies; but compensation is to be found in the enhanced prices received for exportable produce—prices . which govern those, for produce sold in the domestio market. This fact is brought out by the Government Statistician in his January abstract. He takes as a base the average of five years, 1909-1913, and a figure representing 1000. Put in another way, the producer who in those years received £1000 for what he exported, during 1926 received for meat, £1755; for dairy produce, £1411; for wool, £1431; and for hides, skins and tallow, £1876. But these prices are much below those he received the previous year. Adhering to the £1000 return as a basis of value for prewar years in 1925, the increase is shown thus:— 1909-13 ■'■ Inbasis. 1925. crease. £ £ £ Dairy produce ... 1000 1515 515 Meat 1000 2085 • 1085 Wool :. 1000 2233 1233 Hides, skins, tallow 1000 2061 1061 Miscellaneous 1000 1679 679 The Government Statistician thus plainly shows the substantial falling-off in the returns to the farmer for produce for 1926 when compared with 1925, for in the latter year the £1000 average pre-war value of produce was raised to £1886; but in 1926 it was worth £1526, or £360 less