New Zealand Farmers Urge Stabilisation Of World Food Prices

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26782, 27 May 1948, Page 5

New Zealand Farmers Urge Stabilisation Of World Food Prices

New Zealand Press Association, Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, May 26. “The farmers of New Zealand are very concerned over the problem of surpluses,” said Mr Norman Perry, president of New Zealand Federated Farmers, speaking at the plenary session of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers’ conference in Paris. “In the past we have seen food destroyed while millions of people all over the world did not have enough to eat. Underconsumption, not overproduction is the real cause of surpluses. Hunger breeds unrest, and the New Zealand farmers are certain that unrest can only be checked by preventing hunger. “That is one thing that this federation can help to do. Some organisations look on food too much from the commercial angle and not enough from the point of view of producers and consumers. “ We in New Zealand,” continued Mr Perry, “ are represented on the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations and are fully in agreement with the aims and objects of that great body. Though many thousands of miles separate us from Europe we still want to do our part to help.”

“The farmers of New Zealand are more vulnerable to price movements than those in most countries because of the Dominion's dependence on its primary industries as the basis of its whole economy,” said Mr Perry. “The New Zealand farmers fee! that the International Federation could do a great deal to help by bringing pressure to bear on Governments and other organisations to ensure not only that the maximum quantity of food is produced but also that prices are stabilised.” New Zealand farmers did not want prices which bore too heavily upon

the consumer, Mr Perry said, but they felt they were equally entitled to expect prices sufficiently high to ensure maximum production. “Two fundamentals must be recognised,” said Mr Perry. “ First, that we as agricultural producers, have a duty to utilise our land so as to produce as much as possible; secondly, that the Governments and consumers must recognise' that we are entitled to prices which will give us stability and' a feeling of long-term security. If these facts are recognised by all sections of the community, then I feel’ that production all over the world can be increased.” When Imperial preferences and the effect upon them of the Western Union and the Marshall Plan were discussed in committee, Mr Perry exercised his right as a member of the federation’s executive, to attend the committee meetings though he is not himself a member of the committee.