DAIRY CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 8

DAIRY CONFERENCE

COSTS AND PRICES.

WELLINGTON, May 19. Addressing the Dominion Dairy Conference, Mr. W. E. Hale, Chairman of the Dairy Board, said that the industry could not possibly operate on 1938 prices and 1943 costs. Ever since prices were fixed in 1938 there had been growing dissatisfaction as costs rose. Stabilisation was acknowledged to be a good policy, but for dairy farmers it had come too late. The Dairy Industry Council had reached unawares recommendations regarding stabilisation; these would

I come before the Conference to-mor-irow. , .... , The Government s willingness to meet the dairy industry’s requests to the maximum allowed by the stabilisation plan was announced by Mr. Barclay. Successful implementation of the plan was considered of paramount importance, but if the conference desired the Government to cfive further consideration •he would arrange for representatives of the Government and the conference to ’meet and examine any reasonable iproposals with a view to reaching an agreement.

The Government was unequivocally •committed to stabilisation, and all

agreements must now be determined within its framework. Mr Nash said that Britain’s cheese ration was four ounces a week, which as the result of New Zealand’s heavy cheese exports Weis roisecl to eight ounces, but only five ounces was consumed, showing plenty was available. The ration was now down Io three ounces of cheese, two ounces of butter,' and four ounces of other fats.