West German Market For Mutton Suggested

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29844, 9 June 1962, Page 13

West German Market For Mutton Suggested

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

LONDON, June 7. Lord Altrincham suggests in an article in the “Guardian” that New Zealand should give very serious attention to West Germany as a possible new market for her lamb and mutton. He made the suggestion in view of the losses New Zealand might have to sustain as a result of Britain joining the Common Market. He advocated a big advertising campaign without delay. “The Germans are curious people and one of their oddities is that they are almost unaware of the existence of sheep.” said Lord Altrincham “There are only 87.000 sheep in Western Germany compared with 48.500,000 in New Zealand and 150.000.000 in Australia, but the Germans have no apparent vegetarian tendencies. “They are thorough-gong carnivores, and their partiality tor sausages is a byword Why should they not be brought to recognise the merits of lamb and mutton? "I am sure there are great possibilities for New Zealand in the West German market,” he said Lord Altrincham says: “Clearly, New Zealand mutton has impinged hardly at all upon the Teuton, and it

has had little inducement to do so. “Oddly enough. West Germany has been importing more mutton from Australia than from New Zealand, although the United Kingdom mutton imports from Australia have been negligible compared with the New Zealand supply. “But in any case the total figure of West German mutton imports is absurdly low—only 774.9 tons in 1961 “The New Zealand aim should be, first, to create a taste for mutton where it has not previously existed, and. second, to convince the Germans that New Zealand mutton is the best in the world. “The task is perfectly feasible.” he said "National habits can be changed more easily than is often believed."