Market Strength

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29791, 6 April 1962, Page 8

Market Strength

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. April 5

"The strength of the United Kingdom market for New Zealand lamb had been the outstanding feature ol this year's trading,” said Mr J. D. Ormond, chairman of the Meait Producers’ Board, addressing the half-yearly meeting of the electoral committee of the board today. Mr Ormond said he could not share the pessimism that buyers of the farmers' livestock were prone to express in the peak of the buying season. The pessimistic reports circulated among the farmers. and in the community, might serve some people's purposes, but not those of the producers.

“Eiarly in our present season.’’ said Mr Ormond, “I made it plain that, in my view, the market prospect did not indicate that the drastic reduction in the lamb schedule in New Zealand was justified. Our market information service pointed out then that the New Year could be expected to open with more favourable conditions for the disposal of New Zealand new season's lamb. We stated then that supply from United Kingdom farms, from Australia and from the Argentine was likely to be lighter in this period and good opportunities should be available to traders for disposal of supplies of New Zealand lamb.

“These judgments have been borne out by the results this year. The demand has been very healthy, the offtake has been good, and at no time has there been excessive build-up in store. In fact the disposal of New Zealand lamb in the first quarter of the year has been such that supplies may be comparatively light later.” Export Control

The request of the board to the Government to bring down an amendment to the Meat Export Control Act, which would give the board power to invest in the wholesaling of meat, was a reiteration of a long-standing request that the board had put to Government since 1948. said Mr Ormond.

“The purpose of the request is to give the board authority to act, if necessary, to pro-

tect the interests of the producers and the country as a whole. We desire to have a yardstick by which we can have some measure of what goes on in the trade,” he said.

“We have also asked for an order-in-council which would give the board the same authority for mutton as it has for lamb in underdeveloped markets. This provision we desire because it is most important that markets are soundly developed and adequately supplied when they have been established. “It is essential that the national interest comes first in determining policy on supply to our markets. The board must be in a position to ensure that this will be so. That is our reason for seeking the order-in-council ”