CRITICAL POSITION

Evening Star, Issue 23846, 28 March 1941, Page 9

CRITICAL POSITION

OTAGO FARMERS PERTURBED MEAT RESTRICTION SITUATION ” GOVERNMENT NOT KEPT FAITH " The Otago executive of the Farmers’ Union strongly protests against the sweeping nature of the restrictions on killing of ewes and wethers for export. When the Government asked for increased production Otago farmers did their utmost without counting the cost. Now they feel the Government has not kept faith with them. If the present restrictions continue many farmers must become financially embarrassed. The hill country position is particularly serious, as many have their annual draft of fat sheep mustered or ready for mustering, and these cannot be held. Yesterday several Otago sheep markets slumped badly. The position is hourly becoming critical. Only prompt action can save the situation. We strongly urge that the Meat Board’s recommendations be given immediate effect.

The above was the text of a telegram sent to the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. P. Fraser, yesterday on behalf of the Otago Provincial Council of the | New Zealand Farmers’ Union by its president, Mr R. S. Thompson. 11 is obvious from the opinions exSressed in the many letters which have een received -at the Farmers’ Union provincial headquarters that high country sheep farmers, while appreciating the problems with which the Government is faced, realise also the straits into which they are being led by the existing restrictions. Typical of the letters received is the following from a high country man who runs more than 6,000 sheep:—“l left my mustering as late as possible so as bo get away as many fats as I could,” it states. “ I start mustering this week, and hoped to draft 700 or 800 fats. It is impossible to keep these sheep any longer on the hill, for the moment the cold weather commences they lose condition rapidly. Also, it would be of no use putting them on feed on low country, as they are too restless, and fret to get back on the hill, and so would lose condition very rapidly. _ This class of sheep does not fatten till he is four or five years old and once past the fattening ago is absolutely valueless. If forced to keep these sheep, I will bo compelled to cut the throats of 400 or 500 of them, most of which would do another year, but are valueless from a selling point of view. For the last mob of cull sheep I sold I got 6d a head. This was a year or two back.

“ This year had been exceptional for sheep fattening on tho mountain. We are hardly likely to get one as good for a long time, and as times are already so difficult in our line, these latest restrictions mean the difference between sink and swim to many of ns. I personally shear over 5,000 sheep, and in 1939-1940 I paid social security on less than £IOO. It is no better this year, and there are even worse cases than mine in this district.”

A further example of the immediate effect of the is that of a sheep farmer living within 20 miles of Dunedin who had 8S sheep mustered for sending to Burnside saleyards on Wednesday of last week. Owing to the floods, the lorry was unable to call for the sheep, which had to bo held for a week. They were sent to Burnside last Wednesday, and tho difference between the price this class of stock brought on the 19th compared with the price this farmer actually received for his consignment was £ls. so that, as tho effect of the restrictions, ho made a loss of that amount. “ And this,” remarked Lite farmer, “ is only the beginning.”