U.K. Consumption Of Lamb And Mutton Rises In 1960

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29220, 2 June 1960, Page 19

U.K. Consumption Of Lamb And Mutton Rises In 1960

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 1. The people of the United Kingdom have been consuming mutton and lamb in even greater volume this year than last, says the latest report from the market information service' of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. In 1959 consumption of lamb per head of population rose by 31b to 261 b. This was the highest figure since rationing ended. The lowest prices of lamb and mutton in the United Kingdom last year enabled a greatly increased volume to be sold.

This year supplies have been down, but Britain consumed 11,700 tons more mutton and lamb in the first quarter of the year to the end of March, 1960. than in the same quarter of 1959. This was a rise of 8 per cent. New Zealand supplies imported in the first quarter rose by 9200 tons from last year’s figure, but production from United Kingdom farms and from Australia and Argentina was down. Stocks Reduced Such was the demand for lamb that stocks in cool stores in the United Kingdom were run down, so that at mid-May there were about li million fewer lambs in store than at the same date in 1959. Tt is likely that there will be

a lighter supply of mutton and lamb from home production during the remainder of the year, in comparison with the phenomenal volume of 'slaughterings in late autumn and summer of 1959 in the United Kingdom," says the report.