BOBBY CALF POOL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19978, 1 July 1939, Page 6

BOBBY CALF POOL

GISBORNE DISTRICT COMMITTEE ELECTED •MARKETINC PROPOSALS A At a meeting of dairy farmers in the City 'Hall to-day, a committee was elected to operate a bobby calf pool in the Cook, Waikohu and Uawa counties. There was an attendance of more than 40 farmers.

The convener of the meeting, Mr. M. Doyle, chairman of the Kia Ora Cooperative Dairy Company, Limited, was elected to the chair, and he explained that the Minister of Marketing had agreed to grant a pool for the district, following- representations made by both the Kia Ora and Okitu companies. He had been told that the Tolaga 'Bay farmers also desired to come into the pool. These men would require to secure the permission of the Minister to join in. Mr. A. Donald, chairman of the Tolaga Bay Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, explained that the Tolaga Bay people had made representations to the Minister on the matter. The chairman agreed to accept Tolaga Bay nominations for the pool committee, pending Ministerial approval to the Tolaga Bay area being included in the scheme. Election of Committee 'The meeting decided to elect a committee of seven, the number to include the chairmen of the three dairy companies concerned, 'Mr. M. Doyle, Kia Ora, Mr. E. H. Baker, Okitu, and Mr. A. Donald, Tolaga Bay. Others elected to the committee were Messrs. W. J. McCliskie, H. R. Chrisp, C. E. Smith and G. Brown. In reply to Mr. R. Jackson, the chairman stated that now that the pool had been formed, all bobby calves_in the area covered by the pool must be marketed through the committee. Penalties" were provided for breaches of the regulations governing the pools. Marketing Association’s Aims

Mr. tv. J. Phillips, chairman of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, Hamilton, was present and said that last year the association operated 28 pools, all but one being in the North Island, handling 239,008 carcases, or 25 per cent of the total number of calves killed. It was only by the pooling system that the business could be handled successfully. The olcl system of "catch as catch can” was against the principles of co-operation. The association would arrange to pay producers either monthly or at the gate, as the committee decided. In r«ly to Mr. H. B. Bull, Mr. Phillips said that much damage to skins was done either on the farms or on the trucks, and it was in the interests of all concerned -to see that the calf arrived at the freezing works without damage to the -skins.

To Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Phillips said that the regulations provided that any carcase which weighed less than 2311 b was rejected. Most pools operated on a minimum weight of 52Lb live weight. Any below the minimum weight* were collected for the value of the skins only, these being paid in full at the gate. In reply to Mr. W. Picken, Mr. Phillips said that condemnations in unpooled areas under the control of the association were 5 per cent, and in pooled areas the figure was 2 per cent. To Mr. T. W. Sewell, Mr. Phillips said that in, the Waikato savings in collection charges of up to 50 per cent had been effected as 1 a result of the operations of the pools. The Gisborne district, also, should, be able to secure some benefit in costs of collection and delivery.

On the motion of Mr. Jackson, seconded by Mr. G. A. Papworth, the meeting decided to recommend to the committee that the Pig Marketing Association. should conduct the collection of calves.