DAIRY FARMERS’ DIFFICULTIES

Putaruru Press, Volume XX, Issue 1193, 1 August 1946, Page 6

DAIRY FARMERS’ DIFFICULTIES

HIGH TAXATION RESENTED Subsidising Uneconomic Industries Referring to loss of production, amounting to £116,000, which the Moorrinsville Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., suffered from the drought of last se£t:on, the chairman, Mr. B. J. Pircit, at the annual meeting of shareholders, said those figurerj provided only part of the story. Factory, company ove-head and farrm costs were seriously increased by reduced supply, as weo income from loss of by-products. The difficulties of farmers under a State dictated price were no less than under a free and open market system. when each product would bring its full ma-ket value.

If there was one weak spot in the accounts and report it was that relating to production, which ohowed such a severe fall in output. It was clear evidence of the fact that, even in this district, dairying had lost much of its previous attraction, and the end of the war had occasioned a fuller realisation of the load which dairyfarme-s carried for the common cause. Free from that urge dairyifarmers compared their unlimited hours with other ejections of the community enjoying a high standaid of living on a mere five short days of eight hours each. They resented high taxation to provide subsidies for uneconomic secondary industries which competed for labour and unduly raised costo, and at the same time saw their leaders, with the best of arguments, unable to get full fruits of their labour. Were conditions favourable for

dairy production the company’s fac- _ tory would look forward to a record season next year but, other than by rehabilitation farms, and transfen:.' from other companies, there was no new supply. The same story applied throughout the Dominion. The industry was becoming increasingly favoured with veterinary services, research colleges and farm schools, and other efforts to improve and se-vice it, but the defectors felt most strongly that the fundamental root causes which had occasioned the inductry to wilt was the prime matter for study.