FEED PRICES

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20246, 15 July 1937, Page 11

FEED PRICES

“INIQUITOUS BURDEN.” POULTRY PRODUCERS' VIEWS. government action wanted. “ The time has come when the poultry industry should be cut free from the chariot wheels of the wheat Industry,” said the chairman, Mr A. E. Knowles, when opening a discussion on poultry food problems at the afternoon session of the conference of Auckland poultry producers, held in Hamilton yesterday.

If it were essential to subsidise the wheat industry, then the poultry industry should not be unduly taxed to that end. The speaker described as iniquitous the iburden imposed upon poultry producers in the form of subsidies to the wheat industry. While the latter was worth less than £2,000,000 to the country annually, the poultry industry, according to figures published some six months ago, was worth about £3,000,000 per annum to the Dominion. There was no reason why help should not be forthcoming from the Government in the form of an assurance and a guarantee that adequate •upplies of poultry feed would be available, that the quality of feed available should be high and that the price at which it could be got should be such as to enable the industry to be carried on upon a satisfactory basis. Price Discount Urged. Mr A. J. Severn (New Zealand Poultry Producers’ Federation) said that In his opinion the real problem facing the industry was not so much feed as marketing, but Mr G. Hunter (Hamilton Council) contended that in feed costs lay the main difficulty. In an attempt to reach the root of the trouble he moved the adoption of the following remit on behalf of the Hamilton Council:— “That the (Poultry) Board be asked to make every effort to obtain for us a price discount on poultry foods such as will restore the margin between costs and prices which existed in 1930.” Speaking on the motion, Mr F. W. Treby (Waitemata) said that he was against anything in the form of a subsidy to the industry, since that only Imposed a further burden upon the community. He believed that the key to the problem lay in the better organisation of the industry. Mr E. C. Jarrett, Government poultry instructor for Auckland Province, suggested that the conference should urge an improvement in the quality of feed rather than for direct assistance, and referred to the poor quality of wheat and pollard that had been available for producers recently. He suggested the raising of the price of eggs as an ameliorative measure. Referring to Inferior feed, the ohalrman said that he might mention In reference to the experiments with sprouted wheat as feed carried out at Wallacevllle by the Department of Industries and Oommerce only two bags of sprouted wheat were used, and as that was Inadequate the supply had been augmented with ordinary wheat. By such means the conclusion that sprouted wheat was adequate as poultry food had been reached. Stook Foods Bill. Mr Severn suggested that the probiem would be well on the way to solution If the Stock Foods Bill, which was already fully drafted, were brought down during the coming ses»lon of Parliament. There had been advice received from the Minister that It was hoped to bring It down this session, but the hope was not sufficient. Opposition to the remit was voiced by Mr J. G. Nesfield. In reply to criticism made, Mr Hunter said that raising the price of eggs was no solution of the problem. A rise of over GO per cent In the price of eggs would be necessary to meet the disparity between the present return to the producer and that in 1930. On a vote being taken the remit was lost by ten votes to eight. The following dual resolution was, however, carried unanimously: “That producers view with the greatest alarm the soaring feed prices and enter an emphatic protest. And that the Government be urged to reduce to poultry farmers the cost of fowl foods to the 1930 level." A resolution urging the necessity for the early introduction to the House of the Stock Foods Bill was also passed. Additional Resolutions. The following additional resolutions, also bearing on the feed question, were carried without dissent:— “ That the Government bo urged to fix the price of fowl wheat of fair, good quality at a price considerably below that of milling \vheat, guarantee to the poultry farmer an adequate supply for his demands, and where such supplies are not procurable locally, importations bo made and be available at parity, plus cost of delivery (i. 0.. duty free).” “ That at least a proportion of previous maize lands he resown, falling which the duty on imported maize be left ofr." “ That the Government be requested to see that none hut good quality wheat he described and sold as fowl wheat under any circumstances and that this he Incorporated In the regulations under the Stock Foods Bill." High Prices for Eggs. It was considered advisable to place jn record again the attitude of projucers to egg prices generally; the following resolution being passed unmlmously:— “ That we reaffirm it as one of our principles that we are opposed to high prices for eggs, and consider that all our efforts must be directed towards the reduction of production costs."