GOVERNMENT'S PLAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 18, 21 July 1943, Page 3

GOVERNMENT'S PLAN

CONFERENCE OF PRODUCERS

"It is not the Government's intention to menace the livelihood of the country's commercial gardeners, but merely to ensure that the people get sufficient vegetables," declared the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Barclay) today at the opening of the annual conference of the Dominion Council of Commercial Gardeners, when referring to the proposed big expansion of bis Department's vegetable-growing scheme.

He stated that the Department proposed to cultivate 6000 acres, as compared with 1800 acres last year. The results of the venture last year had exceeded all anticipations. Also with the object of main.taining an adequate supply of vegetables for civilian use, the Government was encouraging the development of the backyard gardens. The Minister paid a tribute to the work of "Mr. Ben Roberts, M.P., in the dig-for-victory campaign. ' The Minister also said that it was the Government's intention to erect two or three dehydration plants for the treatment of vegetables and fruit. The equipment for these plants had been ordered. He asked for the co-opera-tion of all farmers. Any change-over in a system must inevitably hurt someone, but he assured them that it was the Government's desire and aim to see that the changes were made as smoothly as possible. Touching on the question of prices, Mr. Barclay said he knew that the growers favoured the maximum and minimum price in preference to the contract price, but in order to fit in with the general policy of stabilisation they had no choice but to introduce the contract price. The Minister sympathised with the growers in their labour difficulties, but he pointed out that every other section of industry was faced with the same problem, and he appealed to them to do the best they could in the circumstances. "You have to remember that the Government had to turn this little peace-loving nation into a warlike nation, and in the process we have made mistakes —thousands of mislakes—but we have also made and done something worth while," said the Minister. "Our war effort as a nation is something of which everyone can be proud. You people are able to see the mistakes. We don't mind that, and we don't mind you pointing them out to us, but we don't want you to magnify them."