N.Z. EXPORT MEAT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 33, 8 February 1941, Page 6

N.Z. EXPORT MEAT

STATE GUARANTEE ALL WILL BE PURCHASED BY GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH BRITAIN STILL GOING ON [ Per Press Association. I WELLINGTON. Feb. 7. To maintain the economic stability of the meat industry' in New Zealand as far as possible, the Government has decided to guarantee to all buyers of export meat that it will be purchased ultimately by the New Zealand Government. irrespective of final contract conditions concluded with the United Kingdom. This statement was made this evening by the Minister of Marketing. Hon. J. G. Barclay, who explained that at the present time New Zealand's meat contract with the United Kingdom Government to cover the current season had not yet been completed, but that every effort was being made to reach finality, and negotiations were proceeding daily. Mr. Barclay said that the main purpose of his statement was to place before the farmers the main facts of the present position, as it related to purchases of meat by the United Kingdom Government, the effect of restricted shipping and a firm intention of the Government to maintain, as far as possible, the economic stability of the meat produce industry. It would be remembered that the Government, through the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance had, I from time to time, expressed its intention to finalise conditions, when ! the necessity arose, under which a’l meat produced in the Dominion dur- I ing the 1940-41 killing season would I be purchased at standard f.o.b. prices , published by the Marketing Depart ment.

“We must realise that the Old Country at present is carrying an immense burden under conditions of the utmost difficulty, and, for this reason, we must be content to accept a delay which is unavoidable, but which we know the British Government will terminate as soon as it is possible to do so, said the Minister. Lord Woolton’s Statement. “Most farmers will be thoroughly conversant with Lord Woolton's (British Minister of Food) recent statement announcing that, because of the present shipping circumstances, it is inevitable that few ships can come to New Zealand and Australia during the present year than it was possible to <end last year, and that this means restriction in the volume of our exports, particularly those which depend upon refrigerated space. In a memorandum to our High Commissioner in London, Lord Woolton stated it was the intention of the British Government to lift all meat from New Zealand tht was humanly possible. The New Zealand Government is fully confident that this promise, made on behalf of the British Government, will be implemented to the fullest extent. Therefore, the present position as regards the export of our meat can be simply stated as being dependent entirely on the amount of refrigerated shipping space which can be provided during the current year. In view of all these circumstances, and in view also of the New Zealand Government's intention to maintain the economic stability of the meat industry in New Zealand as far as possible, we have decided to guarantee to all buyers of export meat that it will be purchased ultimately by the New Zealand Government, irrespective of the final contrast conditions concluded with the United Kingdom. Tentative Proposals. “Tentative proposals have already i been discussed between the Government and the meat interests and the administrative machinery to implement the Government's promise is in course of preparation. Producers can rest assured that all details will be finalised in the shortest possible time, and arrangements will be such that the operators will be able to continue their normal activities without undue Inconvenience to themselves, or to the producers. In anticipation of thel possibility of a restricted shipping | programme the Government has, for I some months past, been organising the I erecting of additional cool storage to I the limit possible with the materials I available. The Prime Minister, in aI statement last month, gave full de- : tails of the extent to which this ad-; ditional cool storage had already been erected, or is in course of erection. I can only add that, within a , very short time, we should havej ample cool storage to safeguard the j condition of our meat and carry us over the difficulties of the present season.”

Mr. Barclay said it was his intention to make a further statement as soon as the present negotiations between the Government and the meat interests were complete. In this he would give full details of the arrangements which have been finalised, and. in the meantime, his message to all meat producers was to carry on in the usual way.