DAIRY PRODUCE SHIPMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1926, Page 12

DAIRY PRODUCE SHIPMENT.

Whatever were the views of dairy farmers in regard to disposal of their produce through the Control Board, they were practically unanimously of opinion that when the board was created it would be enabled to improve very greatly the transport of produce to the Home market. Indeed to many this was the main justification for setting op the Board of Control. This being the case, the remarks made by Mr. R. W. !’>. Robertson at the annual meeting of the Mangorei Dairy Company will meet with the general approval of all producers. Mr. Robertson emphasised the fact that a mere saving in freights might Ire a very questionable benefit unless it carried with it also speedier and more regular shipments. It is to be hoped that the Control Board will give, at a veryearly date, the full details of the new contract for shipping into which it has entered. Beyond the fact that there will be an average saving of freights of about £90,000 per annum for the four years during which the contract will run, there has been little said. The subordination of dairy shipments to those of frozen meat to which Mr. Robertson also drew attention is a very serious matter for the dairy farmer, and it is curious that it was not brought up by the Control Board when the amending Bill was before the House as a non-party measure. On the face of it the proposal to amalgamate dairy and meat cargoes for the purpose of making one large contract for shipping them, and thereby putting both industries in a better position to make terms with shipowners, seemed a reasonable and a feasible one. In practice it has proved that dairy produce has been subordinated to meat with considerable loss to dairy producers. By concentrating its energies upon the organisation of specialised regular transport, the Control Board can do more than in perhaps any other direction, to improve marketing results for the dairy farmers. The board, at all events, should take producers into its confidence now that the newcontract has been made, giving them full particulars concerning it, and the reasons which made it acceptable.