§ 78. Lieut.-Colonel Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the maximum, minimum and average difference in the price paid for wool to the farmer, and by the manufacturer.
Mr. T. WilliamsFor the year ending 30th April, 1949, which covers the 1948 wool clip, the average price paid to the farmer was 2s. 1d. per pound, to which should be added the costs of collection and marketing, whilst the average price realised by sale at auction was 2s. 4¼d. per pound. It is not possible to give maximum or minimum figures for individual lots, because the individual farmers' clips are sorted and bulked in graded lots before sale.
§ 79. Lieut.-Colonel Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the average amount paid to merchants for handling wool; and what is the maximum and minimum amount for the highest and lowest grades.
Mr. T. WilliamsThe payments to the merchants for all the services which they perform have been determined after an examination of the actual costs incurred. 149W It is not the normal practice to disclose details of these payments which are regarded as confidential between the Ministry and the merchants concerned, but the average payment to merchants on the 1948 clip was 2.7 pence per lb.
§ 80. Lieut.-Colonel Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture what is the average cost per pound incurred in selling wool from merchants to manufacturers; and the average profit per pound made at wool auctions held within the last year.
Mr. T. WilliamsThe average cost per pound incurred during the year ended 30th April, 1949, from the time the wool was taken from the farmer until it was finally sold was approximately 3¾ d. per pound. The net profit on the wool sold was slightly less than one penny per pound. Sales, however, included nearly 10 million pounds (by weight) from the 1947 clip, which had been bought at much lower prices.