Heavy Lambs Not Penalised In U.K.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 12

Heavy Lambs Not Penalised In U.K.

Butchers he talked to in] Britain told him they sold lamb over the counter at a uniform price regardless of the weight of the carcase, said Mr D. C McArthur, of Ashburton, who recently returned to New Zealand froma visit to Britain. Mr McArthur, who revisited Scotland after an absence of 40 years, until recently tanned at DunaandeL Mr McArthur said he did not think the New Zealand farmer should be penalised for producing a heavy lamb when the British consumer received no benefit from it Mr McArthur took with him on his trip a killing sheet for lambs killed at a Canterbury works last March with prices ranging from 12jd for 43 to 501 b lambs to 16*d for 29 to 361 b lambs. The British farmer was not penalised to the acme extent, he said He mid he did not see»a lamb sold in Britain that would kill out at under 401 b The average would probably be 481 b, and, in some cases would be as much as 801 b Moot of these lambs were by Suffolk rams, the populas.re on tat lamb farms. The manager of a Scottish butchery said that he favoured a 371 b lamb. When he sold a New Zealand 371 b lamb to Mr McArthur at Is 7d a lb the batcher then was handling 20 New Zealand lambs a week, but when Mr McArthur returned later to buy another lamb, he was told that locally-grown lamb was so cheap the shop was no longer stocking the New Zealand product At that stage. Mr McArthur said, when New Zealand lamb was being quoted in the "Glasgow Herald" at Is 4d to Is lid a lb be bought half a 50lb home-killed Lamb at is 8d a lb Mr McArthur arranged through the Meat Board for lambs to be sent to a number of places in the United Kingdom before he left New Zealand on his trip- The charge for these lambs was

£4 5s each and those delivered were all 321 b lambs and he could buy New Zealand lamb in the United Kingdom cheaper than this. The British people would be able to eat all the meat New Zealand could produce for some time to come pro: vided the price was not too high. They did not eat as much meat as they could because it was too dear; but. on the other hand, they were accustomed to eating sm 1 pieces of meat regardless of the price. Customers in a butcher's shop in Scotland were surprised when he purchased a 61b roast costing 38s 6d. Many people like New Zealand lamb but he had heard complaints that it was held in storage for too long.