DAIRY CONFERENCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20680, 19 March 1937, Page 13

DAIRY CONFERENCE

BUTTERFAT FOR CHEESE HIGHER PREMIUM WANTED By lelegrapb—Ptes Association WELLINGTON, March 18. A request that the guaranteed price for the current year be reviewed at the end of the season with a view to making direct retrospective payments to cover the increased costs of production was contained in a remit passed by the Dominion Dairy Conference to-day. Another remit urged that steps be taken to impress upon the Government the necessity for taking full cognisance of the increased and increasing costs when fixing the price for next season. In moving this remit, Mr A. J. Sinclair, Te Awamutu, said that from his investigations the increase in cost at the factory was going to work out at from one-quarter to one-third of a penny per pound of butterfat. When it came to costs on the farm it was too early to make any statement until such Information as had been obtained had been tabulated, but he should say from his own observations that the increase on the farm might be set down at Id per lb of butterfat. Mf Hayward (the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Coy.) said that when Mr Sinclair said it Would take Id per lb of butter-fat to cover increases on the farm he was well out. Wages Increases alone over last year were going to take more than jd per lb of butterfat. He was not going into factory costs, but the conference should impress on the authorities that a higher price was necessary, not to cover increases this year or next year but increases in the future. The remit was carried. The following remits were formally endorsed and carried without discussion. “In the absence of information as to the Government’s method of marketing and distribution of dairy produce, and to ensure that dairy companies retain that goodwill for their respective brands which has been built up over a period of years by consistent good quality, the conference urges that the companies’ present brands be used in conunction with the Dominion brand” (National Dairy Conference).

“That it be a recommendation from the conference that dairy companies confer with each other in their respective districts with the object of determining a uniform monthly advance payment which will provide suppliers with a satisfactory supplementary payment for the winter months” (National Dairy Conference). “That this meeting would urge the Minister of Marketing to pay a premium on salted butter packed in tinfoil and parchment at the same rate as the Government is now paying for the use of this class of lining for unsalted butter” (Whakatane Ward Conference). Cheese Premium The question of a premium for suppliers of butter-fat for cheesemaking was discussed. The Tui Company proposed that the conference recommend the Government that in future the premium should be 2d instead of lid. It maintained that cheese costs had shown a greater increase than butter costs. Mr C. J. Parlane (New Zealand Cooperative Company) opposed the remit. First of all, he said, the purchase price of cheese should be increased to the point where the average factory would be able to pay lid per lb. more. Mr H. E. Taylor (Ngaire) said that unless a margin of 2d were reached there might be a breakaway from cheese In Taranaki. Mr W. Marshal (New Zealand Coopcrative) moved as an amendmcht that the price paid be raised to enable a premium of at least lid to be paid by the average efficient factory based on this year’s returns. The amendment was carried. Labour Conditions The desirability of elastic labour conditions were emphasised by Mr J. bunlop (a member of the Board). He said that farmers had been promised that they would be able to take their wives and daughters away from the sheds, but the position in Southland was exactly the reverse. Weather conditions made elastic hours essential. A remit urging the Board to take up with the Minister the question of farm labour, particularly In regard to the employment of married couples and the weekly half-holiday, was carried. A motion urging on the Government the necessity of altering the law so that no overtime should be paid in dairy factories where the permitted weekly hours were not exceeded, was carried.

A remit asking the Government to consider the question of training dairy farm employees and making them available for farmers was withdrawn. The following remit was carried: “That all lorries owned by farmers and used exclusively for their own farm purposes should be exempt from heavy traffic licenses.” Premium for Grade The following remit, adopted by the National Dairy Conference at Hastings last June, was carried on a show of hands: “That in the event of a premium being paid for grade there should be only three grades for butter, namely, finest, first and second; and two for cheese, namely, first and second.” A resolution was carried recommending the Dairy Board to keep a close watch on the bobby calf industry and to take what action it considered advisable if the necessity arose. The following remit was adopted without discussion: “That the Primary Products Marketing Department take full responsibility for all dairy produce from the date the same is submitted for grading at the various grading stores, and payment for such produce be made monthly to the respective dairy companies.” Remits urging upon the Government the necessity for introducing the block system of farm dairy instruction were carried without comment.

The necessity for placing dairy companies on the same basis as merchants as regards commission on manures was stressed in a remit which was carried. A remit recommending the Government to fix the end of the financial year for dairy companies was carried. May 31 was suggested for the North Island, and July 31 for the South.