PACKING EXPORT MEAT

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23349, 7 June 1941, Page 6

PACKING EXPORT MEAT

CONSERVATION OF SPACE STATEMENT BY PRODUCERS’ BOARD As there appeared to be some misunderstanding in connexion with the packing of the Dominion’s meat for export, the Meat Board, some time ago, gave to the press a, statement setting out the position with regard to the various classes of meat. Since the commencement of the war the manner in which our meat should be cut and packed for shipment to the United Kingdom has been a matter of discussion with the British Ministry of Food and all its instructions have been carried out implicitly. The position is being reviewed from time to time,«and at present the method of packing the various classes of meat is as follows; All g.a.q. and f.a.q, ox and heifer beef, and g.a.q. cow beef, which was previously shipped in quarters, is now being boned out. Mutton and lamb are being telescoped. At the present time no ewe mutton is being exported to the United Kingdom, arid in view of the projected canning programme embracing ewe mutton, all ewes of exportable quality, slaughtered as from early last month, are required .to be boned and .trimmed in accordance with specifications laid dovn by the Primary Industries Controller. Porker pigs are now being shipped in sides minus the heads. Before the restrictions in the shipment of baconers. this class of meal was being prepared for shipment in the form of Wiltshire sides. In telescoping mutton and lamb, the main principle is to conserve space, and to land the carcases at their destination in the best possible condition. The same practice was adopted in the last war. No other method has yet been brought forward that will give the same results. In the packing of mutton and lamb by means of telescoping, a greater weight of meat is packed in a given space, and the manner of packing by means of telescoping offers the best form of protection to the meat Mutton and lamb shipped from Australia is treated in the same manner ARTIFICIAL BREEDING REMARKABLE AUSTRALIAN RESULTS Extraordinary success with artificial insemination is. claimed by a New South Wales breeder of stud merinos, a Mr W. T. Merriman, of Merryville. claiming that nearly 2000 of the top ewes of his flock are expected to deliver lambs this season from a 10-year-old ram.' According to the “Sydney Morning Herald,” Mr Merriman was of the opinion that artificial insemination was no longer in the' experimental stages, but could be accepted as a proven factor in stud stock breeding. In unskilled hands its tremendous potency might prove dangerous, but in the hands of expert breeders it offered the means of advancing stock standards at a rate previously undreamt of. Nearly 10 years ago he had bred in the Merryville No. 1 family an outstanding medium-wool ram, which, because of its bold and handsome frame, .he had called the “Master Builder.” He decided to reserve this ram for show urposes. and won consistently with him at the principal southern. shows, as well as in Sydney and Melbourne. Unwilling to part with him, Mr I rriman sent hinv-at seven years of age, to his breeding depot at Laurel Hills, where for the following season he served as a syndicate sire. It was here that outstanding progeny were traced to his influence, and he was brought back to Merryville. In 1939. about 200 stud ewes were inseminated to him, about 50 per cent, of which delivered lambs, all healthy normal, and promising. The experiment was repeated in 1940, with a somewhat better percentage result. By this time the 1939 lambs had developed so that they opened their account with show victories, and have added to it this season by taking* chaimpionships for rams and ewes at shows. , Rating the crop of lambs as the best ever produced in the 60 years’ history of- the Merryville stud, Mr Merriman set out this season to take the fullest advantage of the sire. Accordingly, over a period of three months, which finished a few weeks ago, 2000 selected ewes were artificially inseminated to him. For this purpose the sperm was taken from the ram /en days a week over the whole period, each batch being tested for virility. At the end of three months he was still highly virile and in good condition, and will probably be used again next season in a similar way. It has since been revealed that, following the improved technique adopted this season, at least 86 per cent, of the ewes are in lamb. About 500 ewes were also inseminated to other top sires of the stud.