MEAT EXPORT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 130, 14 March 1935, Page 3

MEAT EXPORT

POLICY OF THE BOARD. REGULATION OF SHIPMENTS. (Special to the "Guardian.") CHIUSTCHURCH, This Day. "Whatever may be the problems of the New Zealand \ Meat Producers' Board in the future, it is thoroughly accustomed to regulating shipments from New Zealand—a different matter from restriction—and the price-record of our lamb and mutton over a long period demonstrates that a wiselydistributed export, not only in respect to volume but also the delivery point, has substantially assisted to maintain an even grade of prices throughout the year. The wide fluctuations in connection with other products, occasioned by glut conditions on the English market, have been avoided in the case of New Zealand meat," said the act, ing-chaiiman of the Meat Board (Ml T. A. Duncan) in an interview yesterday. "This satisfactory result has been achieved by constant study of many factors which may influence market prices. New Zealand's meat output is not available for shipment in steady volume all the year round, nor Is the consumptive demand maintained at the same point month by month. There are naturally periods of heavy killings when stock is in prime condition, but' as prompt shipment of this excessive volume of meat would be likely to, overload a market always highly sensitive to over-supply, the exports from New Zealand during the busy period do not by any means coincide with the total killings.

Study of the Market. "The aim in regulating shipments, without restricting output, is to endeavour to balance them with the capacity of the market to absorb the total volume of supplies likely to bu available in England on a given date. The Meat Producers' Board is kept informed by cablegram, and in other ways, of the production of all meatproducing countries exporting to Britain, and there is also the important factor of home-killed meat, for Britain produces more than half of its requirements in beef and veal and approximately half of its mutton and lamb supplies. "A survey of the average monthly supply of mutton and lamb produced in Britain itself shows that it is at its lowest from February till April each year, and that it gradually rises until the peak of home production is reached about (September-October, alter which there is a rapid decline, it the figures showing arrivals of Xew Zealand lamb and mutton into Britain are examined, it will be found that, helped appreciably by our opposite season, and further induced by the regulating policy of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, the arrivals from New Zealand are low when British: production is at its peak. Though the shipments of New Zealand lamb from February till June are usually over a milHon carcases per month the» official figures show that they tall off rapidly in Julv and August, and usually drop to their lowest point in October.

Other Factors. -Consumptive demand in relation to available supply is not the only acto w'rfiich comes into a regulative po • Freight arrangements on a ™ ute ™ is the longest in the world for regular food supplies to the Enghsh market ]nV olve much planning well in advance of shipping dates, but the tact that the Meat Producers Board arranges the freight contracts for the whole o the Dominion's meat shipments and every month allocates tonnage tor all ports, gives it an important controlling influence in this sphere. It then has to take into consideration, in planning an even flow of supplies ■at the British end, variations in speed of vessels employed in the trade, and the loading conditions around the New Zealand coast, with liability to delay through unfavourable weather in open roadsteads.

! Publicity Campaigns. "Still another important point comes into the board's arrangements and this is the spreading of meat supplies over as wide as geographical area as possible in the English market. London remains the greatest consuming centre, but every effort is made to avoid overloading this market, by allotting as much space as possible for loading to West of England ports. Tins involves creating an increased demand in these areas and the board consequently maintains a travelling representative who is constantly calling upon retailers in the Midlands, the industrial centres of the West, Scotland, and the Eastern countries of England, with the object of inducing increased purchases ot New Zealand mutton and lamb. Hie work of this officer is greatly assisted by general publicity campaigns, and the "special 'New Zealand Weeks' organised in many of the highly populated industrial centres. "The seasonal demand of consumers for different classes of meat is studied, and catered for, as there are times ot the year when lamb and mutton are particularly popular. New Zealand's spring lamb has made a special name for itself, and it has been found possible through careful organisation and publicity to stimulate this demand and spread it over a longer period than was formerly the case. This valuable chance of getting good prices for early lamb has been helped byi the improving speeds of the vessels utilised for meat transport from New Zealand to Britain. The board in its last report stated that with the experience it has had in the regulating of shipments it Ihas realised what an important bearing regulated shipments have in maintaining a steady range of prices, and, (the report adds] 'it is very pleasing to know that its efforts in this direction are appreciated by the producers and by the trade.' "