GRAVE DECLINE IN OUTPUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 13 January 1944, Page 2

GRAVE DECLINE IN OUTPUT

DOMINION PRIMARY PRODUCTION NATIONAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED The serious state of the dairy industry and primary production generally was emphasised at a meeting of the North Canterbury Primary Production Council, and, because of the necessity of restoring the output to higher levels in order to meet the Dominion’s commitments to Great Britain and America, it was decided to request the National Council of Primary Production to call a special conference at which these matters could be discussed (reports ‘The Press”). A reply was received from the Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture (Mr P. W. Smallfield, acknowledging the receipt of a letter from the council about dairy production, in which it had been stated that the council considered that the decline in dairy production had been caused largely by the ruling prices of butter-fat. Mr Smallfield’s letter referred to a statement by the Minister of Agriculture expressing his wish to confer with leaders of the dairy industry so that steps could be taken to induce farmers to rear more young stock. “It seems to me that this council meets here from time to time, and we don’t get very far,” said Mr R. G. Bishop. “The dairy industry is in a serious position. Here we are rationed to supply England with fats, and nothing is done to stimulate production. Dairy production is down by 28 per cent. We should suggest to the National Council that something should be done for us to meet the Minister of Agriculture so that we can take part in world trade in the period of rehabilitation after the war. Farmers are killing capital stock week after week. If this weather keeps up we’re going to be in ‘queer street’ over feed. It will rr.ean the killing of thousands of young pigs. Grain in Canterbury is going to be very short this year.” MANPOWER PROBLEM Mr Bishop said that the manpower problem needed to be taken in hand. He quoted instances of men leaving farms for other positions, making a “ridiculous state of affairs.” The Dominion’s production was falling, and Canada and the Argentine were encroaching on its markets. People at the present time had not the labour to carry on. and the. sidelines were abandoned first. He moved the following resolution: “That the North Canterbury Council of Primary Production suggest that, with a view to increasing primary production, the National Council convene a conference with the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. B. Roberts) and his officers and all those interested in primary production as soon as possible to consider ways and means of: (1) placing the dairy industry on a sound footing, and to try to increase production to the 1940 level or better as soon as possible; (2/ to arrest the rapid fall in pork and bacon production and the slaughter of capital stock by providing reasonably priced feed and adequate supplies when wanted; (3) to issue a cropping programme in ample time for farmers to prepare land, with a chance of producing reasonable crops: (4) to overhaul the manpower position so that men released from the Army are available for primary production, and endeavour to make provision for domestic assistance on farms.” LOW PRICES BLAMED The whole cause of low production was the low prices offered for products, said Mr I. L. M. Coop, who seconded the motion. Butter-fat at Is 4d per lb was not a payable proposition. “1 don’t think it’s only the price that is the trouble,” said Mr H. J. Macartney. “It’s manpower more than the price. If some young chap came out from the city to my place to milk cows I wouldn’t have him—l wouldn’t think he was ‘all there.’ There’s only one way to keep up dairy production—it is to breed your own labour.” Discussing the manpower position, Mr C. Morgan Wililams, M.P., said that no men had been taken recently from farms for the Army. The manpower situation had been • the serious consideration of the National Service Department. A deputation had waited on the War Cabinet, and as a result the armed forces had reduced their demands on farm manpower. He knew of many actual cases where men from the Army were now in primary industries. Prices had very little to do with dairy production. This year climatic conditions had been the determining factor Labour was the main factor in wheat production, coupled with the difficulty of securing machinery to get new land under wheat. “Nothing more that I can see can be r'-r-'-. flbcut manpower,” said Mr Williams. “I think the price of dairy produce is about right, provided we can keep costs down. While we have stabilised internal costs more than any other country, we can’t stabilise external costs. If the exchange can be brought to par, our money is worth more than par, and certainly more than par with the dollar. I think we might approach the Government to increase pork and bacon prices. Only those who are producing it on by-products can do it today.” POSITION “MIGHTY SERIOUS” “The position is mighty serious and it is getting worse every day,” said Mr A. R Turnbull. “If Mr Williams goes back a year or two he will find that there were two or three dairy companies in Christchurch, chasing round for cream from every small farmer. Now there is only one company. Today they seem to be more interested in getting profits than in the number of pounds of butter produced.” Mr Williams: Those little men were a burden on the genuine dairy farmer. Mr Turnbull: They wouldn’t be a burden in supplying Great Britain today. Transport difficulties had eliminated the smaller men, said Mr W H. Gillespie, M.P, The manpower problem dated from the time when other industries were made more attractive than farming. A lot’ had been said about the Home Guard and its effect on production, but now that it was in recess a lot of young men would become restless and would not settle d-vwn on the land The small dairy producer had not been eliminated through the big comp mies not takin; their products, said Mr W O. Rennie; the labour problem had been responsible. Members were wrong about the alleged monopoly in the dairy industry in Christchurch; the factory system was working more efficiently than ever Mr J. W. Earl said that he knew of cases wh farmers would not apply fr - extra labour because they could not get domestic help in their homes. T’ ere was no land policy in New Zealand, and one should have been introduced when war broke out. “If we i >uld pay the same wages as other industries, we get the labour,” said Mr Coop. “The price of butter-fat is based on a production of 2501 b a cow, although on an average

it is 1601 b a cow in the South Island. That’s enough to show that the dairy industry doesn’t pay.” Mr Bishop’s motion was then put to the meeting and carried.