Production Targets in Dairy Industry

Northern Advocate, 27 September 1949, Page 2

Production Targets in Dairy Industry

WELLINGTON, Tue. (P.A.L—“It is time to put aside personal recriminations and get behind the production drive, - ’ said Mr F. P. Walsh, chairman of the Aid for Britain national council, commenting yesterday on production targets in the dairy industry. He was replying to Mr W. E. Hale, chairman of the Dairy Board, who in a statement at Auckland said the dairy industry neither wanted nor needed Mr Walsh to name production targets for it.

“Mr Hale continues to accuse me of setting a 25 per cent target increase in production without consulting the Dairy Board,” said Mr Walsh, ‘•although I showed in my recent talks with the Federated Farmers' Dominion council that a 20 per cent increase in exports was first agreed to by Mr W. Marshall and Mr R. A. Candy, members of the Dairy Products Marketing Commission, when they were in London in 1948.

“All I have done is to bring this 20 per cent export increase up to 25 per cent, the total production increase to cover increases in our population by 1955, and the loss of up to 10,000 tons in exports if butter rationing should as we hope, be discontinued by then. “If this extra 5 per cent production is not provided for, the dairy industry’s increased exports will be at most 15 per cent, and not the 20 per cent aimed at.

“As for who worked out the number of cows, workers' houses, etc., involved in this increase, and why boards were not consulted, surely Mr Hale is aware that, after the obligation had been assumed, the chairman of the Dairy Products Marketing Commission placed this task squarely in the hands of the Government.

“In a letter of December 16, 1948, Mr Marshall said: ‘The specific problem of ways and means of achieving increased production is one *which does not come withiij the province of this commission. It is desired, however, to draw your attention to the production aspect associated with the long-term contract, so that you may give consideration to the question of placing the matter the Department of Agriculture.’ “Surely as chairman of the Dairy Board, Mr Hale was not unaware that the Government had been thus called upon by the dairy industry itself to assist in carrying out the industry’s obligation? “The Government promptly asked ihe Department of Agriculture to work out what was involved, and the figures I quoted some time ago were the result, and were first given to our farmers by Mr E. J. Fawcett, DirectorGeneral of the Department of Agriculture.

“They are not targets; they are simply an assessment of what is involved in the agreement made by our farmers’ representatives, both meat and dairying, in 1948. “If Mr Hale is interested in helping to get these increases,” concluded Mi Walsh, “he should get in line with farmers who are already giving such splendid help while he concentrates on berating me or the Government.”