GOLDEN BAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 26 June 1940, Page 2

GOLDEN BAY

MEETING OF FARMERS THE NEED OF A CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT JPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT “The man who thinks he can stand jn his own under the present marketing ystem is a fool,” said Mr O. C. Wilkinson at a largely-attended meeting jf farmers in Takaka on Monday even:ng when he stressed the need of cojperative effort among the primary producers, not only on behalf of Great Britain tor increased supplies of foodstuffs in her hour of need, but because )f the Dominion’s internal economy. Mr Wilkinson, introduced by the chairman (Mr Bernard Woods), immediately plunged into his subject and ,vith the limited time at his disposal made a powerful appeal for increased oroduction. He was, he said, Provincial President of the Co-operative Pig Marketing Association and chairman >f the Federated Pig Clubs, which were doing so much to raise the standard of lie product in the district. Continuing, Mr Wilkinson, who is lothing if not enthusiastic in his ad■ocacv of the yfrimary producers’ inerests, said he had recently returned from the Waimea and Murchison areas where he had, among other things, strongly urged greater production of pig products He saw no reason why he present production of one and a quarter million of pigs should not be raised to ten million pigs per year, if right methods of breeding, feeding and housing were observed In passing, Mr Wilkinson referred to the erstwhile production of Denmark with her intensive cultivation and great wealth drawn from the bacon and pork industry and went on to illustrate in striking terms the value of co-opera-tive effort in this respect. He declared that too many people were under! the impression that they could not grow pigs unless they were dairy farmers. “I can tell you this,” he said, “as one who is keenly interested in the trials that have been and are being carried out to-day under expert supervision that it is not necessary to be a dairy farmer to make a success of pig raising in all its branches. If you nave skim milk and add concentrates it is I admit, an advantage under certain conditions; but without the skim milk, provided you go in for a balanced ration on approved lines, you can raise and fatten pigs that will return you a substantial profit on your initial outlay. 300 FIG CLUBS Mr Wilkinson waxed eloquent when he referred to the “undoubted value” of the Pig Club movement, mentioning among other things, that there were over 300 Pig Clubs in existence today. These, he continued had had the effect of improving the breed and raising the standard generally of the product. T wonder.” he said, “if you oeople oroperly realise the opportunities of development in an industry that is destined to play an ever-increasing part ir. the prosperity of this Dominion of ours, or whether you are content to let the opportunity of bettering conditions for yourselves and the nation slip by You must seize the opportunity with both hands,” he said. “The time has come—and I wish I could awaken all producers to the fact —when buyers should compete against buyers for the farmers’ produce and not the farmer competing against the farmer to the advantage of the buyer. (Applause).

Mr Wilkinson concluded an inspiring address with a strong appeal for support of the Pig Marketing Association —a co-operative organisation—which which had stood to the farmers in the oast and would continue to do so in the future, although a number of attempts had been ineffectually made by some powerful concerns to impede the Association’s progress, if not wipe it out altogether.

On the motion of the chairman (Mr Bernard Woods), Mr Wilkinson was accorded a hearty vote of thanks (carried bv acclamation) for his informative address.

Mr K. W Baird, who read a circular letter from the Provincial Secretary (Mr A. S. Herrick) regarding the question of subsidy on farm labour, also appealed for increased production, mentioning, in passing, that Denmark had lost 50 per cent, of her cattle and all her pigs—slaughtered to feed the Huns!