MARKET-DAY SCHEME

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 153, 14 June 1932, Page 11

MARKET-DAY SCHEME

ADVICE TO SMALL FARMERS. DIRECT SALE TO PEOPLE. Auckland, June 13. “lu these lean times the small farmer in New Zealand would do well to consider the merits of marketing some of his products in the towns adjacent to his property, as is done m England, on the Continent, and m Canada and the United States,’’ said Mr I H. Lowry, of Hawke’s Bay, who returned by the Aoraugi yesterday from a visit to Canada. “While m Canada 1 had occasion to visit many towns on market day, and 1 watched with interest the way the fanners, or their wives and children, came m with supplies of eggs, chickens, pork, jams and preserves, seeds and Howers to sell in the market-places,’ said Mr Lowry. “Contrary to public belief in New Zealand, no stigma is attached to this form of sale; on the contrary, the farmers take great pride in the quality of the produce offered in their stalls, and their income is materially increased by the sale of many byproducts of the farm which m New Zealand have at present no safe value." Mr Lowry said it would be necessary tor local bodies to set aside temporary market-places, m which fanners could set up their stalls. The system had been proved successful over a long period of years in countries like England, Canada and the United States, where he had watched it operating on many occasions. If it enabled the small farmer to supplement his income its introduction to New Zealand was fully justified. It was a case of the fanners having to helji themselves. The trade, treaty between Canada and New Zealand was greatly appreciated in Canada, said Mr Lowry, and good business should accrue from its provisions in time, especially in view of the fact that the seasons differed in the two countries and the shortage of products in one country could be met by the other. There were substantial hopes of considerable trade development within the Empire as a result of the forthcoming Ottawa Conference.

“I think there is still a good chance for the New Zealand fanner,” lie added. “But he must give up thinking of depression. In Canada people will not talk about the bad times ; they said tile subject was banned. Of course, costs of production and distribution are too high. It will, in my opinion, pay a farmer much better if he will follow uji his own production more closely during the process of selling. He will find that his pockets will benefit very considerably by doing so.’’