7. The late Government gave farmers an assurance that prices of agricultural products would be fixed at levels "such as would give a reasonable return to the farmer and enable the farmer to pay a fair wage to the worker". That assurance has since been repeated, in effect, by the present Government, which has also under- taken that "prices will be subject to adjustment in the event of any substantial changes in cost of production". Cost of production obviously includes labour costs. 8. Since present prices were fixed in the main in relation to the current national minimum wage, it is certain having regard to the pledges that have been given that any appreciable increase in the national minimum wage would have to be accompanied by a corresponding increase in prices.