PRICES FOR N.Z. MEAT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27096, 20 July 1953, Page 10

PRICES FOR N.Z. MEAT

Britain Grants Increases 71 P.C. RISE FOR LAMB (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 17. From October 1 there will be an increase of 71 per cent, for New Zealand lamb and lamb offals, and an average increase of about 51 per cent, for mutton and mutton offals in the price paid for shipments of New Zealand meat to Britain. On mutton the increases will be varied according to the ranges of weight and quality. As for Australia, the prices of heavy-weight mutton will not be increased. Under the agreement with New Zealand, which was signed in 1948, and amended last year, provision was made for annual revisions of the price, either by reference to variations in costs of production, or up to 10 per cent, by references to changes in the prices paid to other important suppliers.

The new prices were announced by the Ministry of Food, which said that agreement had been reached with the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board through the delegation headed by Mr J. D. Ormond, chairman of the board, on the prices to be paid for New Zealand lamb and mutton in the year beginning October 1, 1953.

Shipments of meat from New Zealand to Britain in recent years, the Ministry stated, have averaged about 330,000 tons a ypar. Normally about 200,000 tons of this is Jamb, about 50,000 tons beef andveal, and the remainder mutton, pigmeat, and offal.

In 1952 direct shipments to Britain from New Zealand, together with the meat Britain received from Canada in exchange for the beef sent by New Zealand to the United States under the “swap” arrangements, totalled 350,000 tons, equivalent to 70 per cent. ? T f -P 1 ® total meat imports into the United Kingdom.

“Higher than Australian’* New Zealand lamb and mutton prices are, in general, slightly higher than Australian prices, as they were before the war. Good quality lightweight lambs are reaching about 16d per lb at present, and will receive an increase of a little ov er Id per lb in the new schedule. This is the first time that the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has negotiated as principals with the Ministry of Food under the seven-year agreement signed in 1948 by the Governments oi Britain and New Zealand The new prices for beef and pig meat have still to be negotiated. Two years ago when the negotiations for price increases in New Zealand meat exports to Britain were handled on a Government-to-Government level the increase received was 15 per cent, over-all.

Last year, with the Government still handling negotiations, the over-all increase amounted to. 12 1-12 per cent Since then, at the request of the industry here. the Government has delegated its authority to negotiate to the Zealand Meat Producers’ Board ‘he result of its representations in recent talks with the British authorias been an over-all price increase of 7$ per cent.