MORE BEEF KILLED

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 14

MORE BEEF KILLED

Demand From America (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Meat production for the 1962-63 season is expected to exceed last year’s high total by more than 7000 tons in spite of a fall in mutton killings. One reason for the increased slaughtering of beef is pressure of demand from the North American market. The biometrics division of the Department of Agriculture estimates that by the end of this month New Zealand will have produced 828,800 tons of meat, compared with 821,400 tons last year, and 757,700 in the previous year.

Slaughtering of cattle is expected to be 70.000 above last season's peak figure, although the .killing of cows' is likely to be down by 30.000 tons. Off-setting this will be an increase in the killing of bullocks and heifers. The slaughtering of wethers will be around last season's figure, but killings of ewes will probably be down 700.000 from last year’s record. The bulk of the ‘decrease was in the North Island, where last year’s severe drought forced farmers to slaughter early. Farmers are therefore retaining their ewes to replenish stocks and because of the higher prices for wool. But because carcase weights have increased, the loss of slightly more than 8000 tons in mutton killings is proportionately less than the decrease in sheep slaughterings. Lamb killings will also be down, but weights will be up. increasing the total production of meat by nearly 3000 tons.