"BABY BEEF."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 14

"BABY BEEF."

REQUIRED IN LONDON.

ALSO LIGHT-WEIGHT LAMB.

EXPERT'S TRIP ABROAD.

rtulrhern in all parts of Kngland appreciate the quality of New Zealand meat, said Mr. W. .1. Marks, buver for

I lie West lield Krcc/.ing Compnny, who returned to A ink la ml thin week after a trip through Kngland and Canada. The object of his trip, apart from seeing the I oroiialion. was In study the wholesale and retail meat trade in London. W'hal the Kn•; 1 i--»h meat market wants abine all. lie >aid. iri lij;!it weight carcases. Kut iiinl heavy lambs are not i-nitable and to establish more lirmlv their leading position in the lamb trade New Zealand farmer* should concenIrate mi liylit weights. Kxporters could eneoiiraye l hem by paying a [iremiillli on the lighter types of lamb.

In I In l -inimp way the butcher in Kngland i-ii (iii<>t linil a ready market for In rge anil unwieldy joints of lieef. Ke requires umall joints and it is to New Zealand's advantage to supply him with (he carcases of young. small honed cattle. The need for this i* fully appreciated by Argentine exporter* Mid the rattle they send are nearly all two or three year-olds. The home farmer goes c\en further and kills his beef nt ■it) months in most nines, for demand is largely for "baby beef."

The good quality of New Zealand chilled beef is recognised by the Home trade, continued Mr. Marks, and the expansion of our exports of chilled at the expense of frozen beef hns l>een a profitable move. The moat does not bring the same price as Argentine, owing to the long distance from the market. The Argentine beef keeps its "bloom." being only 12 to 14 days on the way to London. Faster boats are improving New Zealand's position in this respect.

Mr. Marks referred to the good work of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board in advertising our lamb in nil parts of the United Kingdom. Everywhere he went he saw New Zealand lamb in the shops and prominently advertised. Even in a North of Wales town lie visited the butcher showed him some prime lamb from this country.

The London butcher*'- methods did not impress him. being far behind those of the lending Auckland butchers. The shop fronts opened on to the footpath, and the meat was exposed to the dust and petrol fumes of the street*. Tt looked unfit for human consumption, he said, in many cases.

At the Smithfield market Mr. Mark* was struck bv the wonderful display of meat from all parts of the world, and the huge volume handled each day. N?w Zealand mutton. lamb and pork was well to the fore and commanded a high place in the estimation of the market.