PRICES FOR PRODUCE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 97, 7 April 1934, Page 8

PRICES FOR PRODUCE

Dairymen’s Problems LORD BLEDISLOE’S VIEWS Speaking at n function nt Warkworth, tho Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, remarked that u previous speaker bad said flint ho could teach them how to grow Inmb, wool and butter. However, said Lord Bledisloe, speaking ns n dairy farmer, ho realised fully that nt present tho dairy farmer in New Zealand wns in an unfortunate position, but it would improve, ns with growing prosperity in tho world the demand for the products of the dairy increased. In every case the best way out of their difficulties was to keep up production—above all, it was necessary to maintain high quality. “There are many who think that the British Government nnd farmers do not realise tho plight of their brother fanners in this Dominion,” the Governor-General snid. “The British Government, however, is fully aware of your difficult position and deeply sympathises with you, and short of making bankrupt the British fanner will go to grent lengths to help you out.. Wo find that the butter market is glutted and that to avoid a continuation of this glut have suggested the adoption of some measure of temporary regulation or restriction. “1 am convinced myself that whatever may bo the outcome of this proposal the New Zealand farmers will have little to fear if they insist that not only quantity but quality also be taken into account. In the matter of quality of such commodities as butter, cheese and lamb New Zealand can hold its own with any other country ex porting to Britain.” His Excellency said that it was fortunate for the dairymen that the price of meat and wool had so risen that sheepfarmers who had been tempted during the last two years to invade the dairy farmers’ domain would now return to their own natural and now more profitable area of production. “Japan has largely helped the sheep farmer in obtaining a higher price for his wool,” said His Excellency. “Japanese doctors have been telling their people that to be healthy they must wear wool next their skin. The wool required for this purpose is Merino. Now New Zealand’s clip is chiefly crossbred wool, but when tho price of Merino rises a greater demand for crossbred wool is created elsewhere. In the large London stores ready-made suits, chiefly made of Merino wool, aro sold at from £2 10/- to £3. So that they can still sell the suits at these prices the manufacturers are now using a larger quantity of crossbred wool, which was likely, in the opinion of tho experts, to maintain its remunerative price for at least another five years.”