BEEF INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22318, 16 January 1936, Page 10

BEEF INDUSTRY

BEITISH PBODUCEES NEED OF ASSISTANCE DEPLORABLE POSITION MINISTER PROMISES ACTION By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received January 15, 0.5 p.m.) LONDON. Jail. 11 The National Farmers' Union has passed a resolution urging tho Government to carry out without delay its announced long-term policy for the assistance of United Kingdom beef producers in view of the deplorable position of the industry. One delegate asked: "As the negotiations of the Government with the Dominions and with foreign countries are proceeding in secret,'what guarantee is there that ■we are not to be sold another pup?" The chairman of the Livestock Committee, Mr. Williams, said that when the agreements expired the Go\ eminent, would he able to impose a tariff or a, levy. Tho union had received assurances of action. "We have seen the Minister and we know he is negotiating with the Dominions and with foreign meat producers lor a regulation of quantities in the coming year," said Mr. Williams. Tho Duke of Kent, in a speech at the union's dinner in tho evening, referred to Mr. Baxter's visit to New Zealand in 1933 as illustrating the value of co-operation.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Walter Elliot, said that since 1931 homo production of beef had expanded by 1,250,000cwt. Mutton and lamb had similarly expanded and producers' prices between 1932 and 1935 rose 13 per cent without a corresponding rise against the consumers. The Government intended to fulfil its pledge of a levy and a subsidy for beef.

At the meat conference in London last year, Australia and New Zealand agreed to the fixing of maximum limits on shipments of meat. New Zealand undertook to limit supplies of lamb and mutton to 1,578,000cwt. during the six months ended December, 1935, and to send 3,900,000ewt. during the whole of 1936. The beef and pork arrangements were for six months only, ended December, 1935. New Zealand agreed that its supplies of beef and veal for this period would not exceed 4"8,000cwt., of which 66,000cwt. would be chilled.

However, there was also an agreed carry-over of beef of 70,000cwt. from the second quarter to the third quarter of the year, so that presumably the limit was increased to 548,000cwt. The figures- for frozen pork 4 excluding baconers, were not stated. Previously, New Zealand secured a quota of 12,500 tons of baconer pigs for the whole of 1935.:

No arrangement for the current year in respect of beef, pork and bacon has yet been announced. The trade in Auckland is informed that negotiations between, the Governments concerned are still in progress. So far exporters' oper-ations-have not been curtailed in any way. '