FREIGHT ON PRODUCE EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1930, Page 8

FREIGHT ON PRODUCE EXPORTS.

The new shipping contract arrived at by the Meat Producers and Dairy Produce Boards for the conveyance of produce to Great Britain is satisfactory so far as it -goes. Naturally exporters would have liked a larger reduction in freights than the 2£ per cent, which has been secured, but it must be recognised that it was an exceedingly difficult period in which to conduct negotiations for a new freight contract. It is obvious that for low shipping charges to be possible there must be reasonable loadings for the outward voyage from Great Britain as well as for the return journey with Dominion produce. With Australia’s policy of absolute prohibition of certain imports and all others reduced to a. minimum there is a considerable reduction in the amount of cargo available from the United Kingdom. .Even in this country importing has been reduced on account of the lowered spending power due to lower prices for exports, though the position is not nearly so acute as in Australia. These and other factors had to be taken into consideration by the representatives of the meat and dairy industries, and they seem to have done all that was possible to bring about a reduction in freights. Whether there are any new conditions as to ports of call and other matters in winch dairy produce exporters are more interested than the meat industry has not been made public, but it is to be hoped there has been no attempt to cut out direct loadings from this province? The new contract is for three years from October next. By the time it is necessary to begin negotiations for a further period it looks as though the dairy industry will have reached such a degree of importance as to leave it the first say in freight arrangements. This is not to criticise the work done by the Meat Producers Board in regard to shipping matters. It has worked in Close conjunction with the Dairy Produce Board and has done, its best to serve the interests of both meat and dairy exporters. Nevertheless as dairy produce is to provide a far larger share of exports than meat it seems obvious that the next contract must be made with a primary view to satisfying the requirements of the dairy- industry.