EXPORT LAMB SEASON

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27206, 25 November 1953, Page 10

EXPORT LAMB SEASON

Freezing Works To Open Next . Week PREMIUM ON EARLY KILLINGS

North Canterbury freezing works will commence the killing of lambs for export next Week. The works at Belfast, Islington and Fairfield are scheduled to start on Monday and at Kaiapoi on Tuesday. Further south the works at Pareora and Smithfield will open a little later. The exact date is to be announced by early next week. Although it is definitely known that a premium on lambs delivered for early killing will be paid when the works open, no opening schedule of prices has yet been fixed by meat operators in Canterbury. In the North Island the opening price has been announced at 20>d. As a general rule, the price in the South Island is fixed at about fd per lb below that ruling in the North Island, and, on this basis, the opening price -in Canterbury, independent of premiums, would be about 19Jd. Last year’s opening price in North Canterbury was 18gd. In assessing this year’s price, the general increase of 10 per cent, will naturally be taken into account by the freezing works and this will offset to some extent the increased price for bone meat being paid to New Zealand by the British Government.

. The exact amount of the premium to be paid in the early stages of the season has riot yet been determined by all companies in the South Island. It will operate as from Monday of next week, and will probably be confined to a relatively short period. North Island Prices. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board announces that for the North Island the opening schedule prices assessed by meat operators for the highest grades in each class are as follows, says a Press Association message:— . Lamb, 20$d per lb. Boner cow beef, 60s per 1001 b (Auckland); 56s per 1001 b (elsewhere). Boner •> bull beef, 65s per 1001 b (Auckland); 60s per 1001 b (qlsewhere).