CHALLENGES SET PRICE DEFICIT ESTIMATE

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1937, Page 9

CHALLENGES SET PRICE DEFICIT ESTIMATE

[Per Press Association. Copyright. WELLINGTON, Tins Day. Estimates of the deficit in the dairy industry account as the result of the first year’s operation of the guaranteed price and marketing schemes for dairy produce were challenged by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, M.P. for Oroua, in an interview last evening. He said the deficit, if any, did not distantly approach any of the estimates given either by the Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, or in the annual report of the Primary Products Marketing Department. “There have been different estimates made of the suposed deficit in connection with the sale of our dairy produce in England,” said Mr Cobbe. “The Minister's first estimate was £650,000. Later, in the annual report of the Primary Products Marketing Department the expected deficit was reduced to £548,749. Nowhere Near Real Figure. “Now wc have a revised estimate by the Minister, who says the deficit will be under £400,000. lam a shareholder in certain dairy factories and am naturally interested in this question. I wish to say any deficit, if there should be any does not even distantly approach any of these estimates. “From the department’s figure of £548,749 should be subtracted the surplus of butter, £412,474, the surplus on cheese, £26,677, and the estimate of cheese and butter unsold £23,000, a total of £508.151, leaving the real deficit as £40,598."