MUTTON FOR RUSSIA

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27666, 24 May 1955, Page 12

MUTTON FOR RUSSIA

1600 Tons From Canterbury PROSPECT OF NEW MARKET

If direct shipping space can be assured, an expanding market m Russia for New Zealand meat appears likely. A shipment of about 2500 tons of ewe mutton is now on its way to Odessa from New Zealand in the Wairangi. About 1600 tons of Its meat cargo came from the works of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd., and was loaded at Timaru and Lyttelton. h. A smaller shipment was made to by way of the Continent last year, the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company shipping about 500 tons of ewe mutton. Good reports were received and the Russians were on me market for bigger quantities this season. Prices paid by the Russians have been equi alent to the English market prices. Any ex lension of trade will be generally welcomed by meat producers and reezing companies. Those connected with the production of sheep and cuttie, their processing and marketing, have long held that it would be beneficial to New Zealand producers to find alternative markets; the possibility of sales of beef to Italy has been investigated recently by the chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board (Mr J. D. Ormond). Other shipments besides the larger one on the Wairangi are reported to have been made from the North Island to Russia. Beef, as well as ewe mutton, was shipped. “There are oppportunities for selling New Zealand beef in Italy that should be encouraged,” said Mr Ormond, who has returned to London from Rome accompanied by Mr J. De Gruchy, the board’s manager, according to a Press Association cablegram from London. “It may take some time to build up the trade should be possible with goodwill, said Mr Ormond. Mr Ormond and Mr De Gruchy also visited Norway and Sweden, where they saw fusion plants for manufacturing fertilisers. They intend to visit cities m Nort’-rn England before leaving for Canada in about three weeks’ time.