HEAVIER LAMBS NEEDED

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22894, 15 December 1939, Page 17

HEAVIER LAMBS NEEDED

ADVICE TO FARMERS MEAT BOARD MEMBER’S VIEW Advice, to produce weightier lambs was given to farmers by Mr H. D. Acland, of Christchurch (a mefnber of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board), who spoke at the export lamb competition at the Fairfield freezing works yesterday. He said Britain wanted food, and it was the 401b lamb which was going tb pay to-day. Mr Acland said the last year had been the most difficult the Meat Producers’ Board had experienced since he had been a member. It started with restrictions imposed by the British Government, and at the beginning of August the board had in store 1,000,000 carcases which it could not get rhl of. As soon asj war broke out the British Government asked the board to send all the meat it could ship, and already practically the whole of the accumulated stocks had been disposed of. “There has been a complete change in merchandising methods since the war broke out, and one of the board’s problems will be to see how it can preserve the channels of distribution after the war,” he stated. He thought that already the board had been able to see its way clear out of this difficulty. He thought there would be a big x'isk of greater production after the war, and it was not known whether the‘British Government would impose the restrictions again. Farmers should not increase their flocks in the immediate future, but should concentrate on producing weightier lambs, because what was wanted in England was food, and it was weight that paid. He voiced a warning about competition from Australia, and said that this country was going to be a bigger and stronger competitor than ever, the war conditions of marketing having given Australia its opportunity. Mr James Begg, of Dunedin, another member of the board, endorsed the advice given by Mr Acland, and emphasised the need to keep up quality. He said that when the war was over New Zealand would require all its energies to keep its place on the London market. There was no advertising of meat in England just now, and after the war the board would have to start all over again in this respect. Referring to the price schedule announced yesterday, he said it was satisfactory, and farmers were getting a reasonably fair deal.