Big Overseas Market Seen For White Veal

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 16

Big Overseas Market Seen For White Veal

The belief that there is an extensive overseas market for white veal is held by Mr W. M. Cleland, general manager of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., who returned to Christchurch at the week-end after spending four months and a half overseas.

WHfite veal was a very popular item in many restaurants on the Continent and was becoming more popular in the United Kingdom, he said. “I am not for one moment suggesting that we should be pegging production of lamb, but I do suggest that if New Zealand wishes to increase her meat production consideration should be given to producing this type of veal and also increasing production of prize young beef.”

In Britain they were now getting round to applying the same type of scientific methods to ealves tor veal production as had been used m the broiler chicken industry In many cases this was being sponsored by the manufacturers of stock foods. While broiler chicken was still a volume consumption commodity, Mr Cleland said, he had a feeling that the industry might now be about at its peak. A greater danger in its effect on meat consumption might, however, be the broiler turkey of a

dressed weight of 7ib to 81b, because the turkey produced under artificial condition* still had flavour whereas the broiler chicken had none.

Referring to the recent strength of the market for New Zealand lamb in the United Kingdom, Mr Cleland said that factors contributing to this, apart from the poor winter, spring and summer affecting the arrival of domestic supplies on the market, bad been the restriction of Argentine beef imports into Britain, and the very large diversion of Irish meat

to the United State* and the Continent. And New Zealand lamb because of its standard in quality and light weight was a premium article with the British housewife. Mr Cleland visited New Zealand trade commissioners wherever they were stationed in areas on his route. He said he had been impressed with the standing of these men in the community in which they lived. Mr Cleland said he would like to see more such appointments in areas where there was a potential for market development. At the same time they became a point of contact for reciprocal trade by industries in those countries. “I think the Government would be well advised to consider those areas where there is either a rapidly rising standard of living or rapidly increasing population. An example of the former is northern Italy and of the latter Los Angeles.”