FAT LAMB INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27208, 27 November 1953, Page 14

FAT LAMB INDUSTRY

HEAVY KILLINGS IN AUCKLAND EFFECT OF PREMIUM INCENTIVE (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, November 26. Freezing works in the Auckland provnce, this week, have been killing lambs for export almost to the limit of their present capacity, so great has been the response of farmers to the premium incentive for early lambs. Killings were double those of last week, when the season opened, and the increase over the same period last season is described as phenomenal. The tempo of killings is said to be about 50 per cent, of last season’s peak rate in January. On present indications it appears that by the end of the first week in December lamb killings will have accounted for about 21 per cent, of the season’s total kill for the province. This was the usual percentage of the total kill achieved in pre-war years, but has not been equalled since free marketing ended in 1939. The lambs killed this week, although light, have given a most satisfactory return to the producer, since the premium of 6s a head would not have been equalled, even If lambs had been held on the farm and taken to heavier weights. Both producers and freezing company officials agreed that the wisdom of offering an incentive payment for early lambs had been well demonstrated by the response during the last fortnight. They said lamb killings could be spread in future seasons, if the schedule recognised the value of early lamb to a particular market at a particular time of the year. This season’s favourable start means that farmers in districts where lambs mature later should have no difficulty in getting them to the works in the New Year, because the pressure on killing space will not be as great as in previous seasons. For lambs sent to the works next week the premium will be 2s 6d a head.