VEGETABLE SUPPLIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23340, 8 May 1939, Page 12

VEGETABLE SUPPLIES

GROWERS' DIFFICULTIES SHORTAGE FOR CENTENNIAL WAGE AND LABOUR PROBLEMS [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Saturday

"Production has dropped because of q, lack of labour and because generally holdings are less," said the president of the Dominion Council of Commercial Growers, Mr. B. V. Cooksley, yesterday, when the statement, made at a recent meeting of market gardeners, that there would be a serious shortage of vegetables in the Centennial Exhibition period, was referred to him. "There is less produce going into the markets and consequently the prices are higher," Mr. Cooksley added. Reviewing the factors affecting decreased production, Mr. Cooksley said that market gardening was a precarious occupation because of the effect of weather extremes, pests and other drawbacks to successful growing. This made it impossible for growers to strike an average of production over a number of seasons as could be done with wool-growing or dairying. None the less growers had to pay the highest wage (£4 weekly or 16s daily for casuals) obtaining for any regular adult employees in primary production in New Zealand. A 44-hour week was worked with a .fortnight's annual holiday. Dairyfarmers paid £3 12s 6d a week without reduction of hours, but with a month's annual holiday to employees; orchardists paid £3 18s. With market gardening there was no definite assurance as to the size of crops grown outdoors. The wages also presented this difficulty: while they were too high for an industry in which there was so much, uncertainty, thev were not sufficient to compete with public works rates. Tho result was a shortage of labour, and consequently less production.