U.S. BEEF MARKET

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29108, 21 January 1960, Page 17

U.S. BEEF MARKET

Curb On Imports Sought (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SEATTLE, January 19. Washington State beef producers will move next week for consideration of Australian and New Zealand beef imports, which they claimed today were depressing prices on the United States cattle market. The State’s Director of Agriculture (Mr Joe Dwyer) said in Seattle today: “So serious is this threat that the State is sending a special representative to the American National Cattlemen's Association meeting in Dallas, Texas, next week.” Mr Dwyer added that his State’s beef industry was particularly threatened by the Australian imports, according to American Associated Press. Mr Dwyer said that Mr W. C. McMinimee, of Yakim, Washington, who is a State marketing information specialist, would attend the Dallas convention on January 27. “Products of Cheap Labour” Mr McMinimee charged today that Australian and New Zealand beef imports were products of “cheap labour and cheap feed.” He said that the beef was being delivered to Seattle at a cost of 29 cents per lb for boneless beef —16 cents per lb below that of Washington produced beef. Officials added that more than 20m lb of Australian and New Zealand boneless beef was placed on the Washington market in 1959 and 2m lb had been marketed already in 1960. Mr McMinimee in emphasising the growth in imports of this beef, said that imports of Australian and New Zealand meat through all United States ports in 1955 totalled only 2.5 m lb. Mr McMinimee said that the threat was nation-wide and was not felt only in Washington, which ranks cattle as its fourth largest industry. He did not indicate what action he would seek through the Dallas convention to overcome the problem. Other cattle industry spokesmen had also expressed displeasure at the imports. American Associated Press added. The secretary of the Washington Cattlemen's Association (Mr Dave Foster) said: “Our fears are mounting as fast as our prices are dropping.”