PRICE OF OATS

Southland Times, Issue 25548, 16 December 1944, Page 6

PRICE OF OATS

INCREASE SOUGHT BY FARMERS “I know that it seems a bit ridiculous to talk of making hay in weather like this, but there is a fair amount of grass about,” said Mr E. A. Cameron at a meeting of the Gore District Primary Production Council yesterday. “We might be able to save some of this for hay and release some oats for chaff in the coming season. We should endeavour to thresh every available ton of oats.” Mr H. A. Price said the stores were bare of oats at the present time. A member said there was a fair quantity of oats still in stack. Perhaps something could be done to release it. Millers might be able to induce farmers to thresh it. Mr L. Paterson: They won’t do it for 3/6 a bushel for old season’s oats. Mr R. Cumming: I think we should renew our protest about the price of oats. We will never get farmers to grow it at 3/8 a bushel for new season’s oats. NEXT YEAR’S CROPS Mr Henry Smith: Farmers have to take a long view about the preparation of next year’s crops. While in the past we have concentrated on harvesting, we have not concentrated enough on labour. The time to put in oats and wheat is limited and we are having an extraordinarily busy time. Today there are much larger sheep flocks and there are only a few days fit for sowing grain. The secretary (Mr M. Green): The onus is on us to get the areas. Mr J. L. Elder: The chief factor in retarding the growing of oats is the price. Mr H. A. Price said that stabilization interfered with the question. Now the price was fixed, nothing could be done about it, unless they tried to get a bonus.

“These oats are free to be sold at any price, so long as they are not sold to a miller,” he said. “Things are in an awful mess. There is nothing we can do about it this year.” Mr Cumming: We will have to keep hammering the whole time. It was decided that representations should be made to the National Council of Primary Production for an increased price.