PRODUCTION ON HIGH COUNTRY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25270, 23 August 1947, Page 10

PRODUCTION ON HIGH COUNTRY

PARLIAMENT

SUGGESTED EXPORT OF CHILLED BEEF

“SCHEME UNECONOMIC AT PRESENT ” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 22. A suggestion had been made to him that high country might be used to raise cattle for the export of chilled beef to the United Kingdom, said the Minister of Finance (Mr W, Nash) in the House of Representatives to-day, when he replied in the Imprest Supply Bill debate. The suggestion had been gone into carefully by competent authorities, but at the moment he merely wanted to deal with the economic side.

It would be costly, but would enable a regular trade in chilled beef to be built up, he said. A certain type of cattle would be raised, and meat would be bought by the Government and processed here. It would then be exported on alternate weeks from Auckland and Wellington in special fast ships, with the result that New Zealand would have a permanent market in Britain for chilled beef, with supplies arriving there regularly in 28 days. If the dispatch of ships to a timetable could be ensured, buyers on the Smithfield Market would know they could depend on buying New Zealand chilled beef there on a regular day of the week. Unfortunately the scheme would be hopelessly uneconomic at present. He had discussed it with shipping interests. and was told that 15 ships would be required to maintain a 28~day turnround schedule, and the vessels would probably cost £2,000,000 each. It would cost the Government some money because hill country could not at once produce economically the stock that would be required. An advantage would be that dollars would be saved, and New Zealand would obtain in Britain a market which the British Government was anxious it should obtain.

Mr W. S. Goosman (Opposition, Piako) said it would be impossible to keep the vessels filled with chilled meat, and Mr Nash agreed with this view.

He hoped the Sheep Industry Commission would consider the practicability of a scheme such as had been suggested, added Mr Nash. It appeared that hill country, and some of the high country of New Zealand could be more productively farmed than in the past. To bring more marginal land gradually into economic production was more important for New Zealand’s welfare than anything else.