"Prime Canterbury’ Lamb Brand May Go

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 1

"Prime Canterbury’ Lamb Brand May Go

From the beginning of the next export lamb killing season late this year prime South Island lambs up to 361 b may no longer be known as prime Canterbury—a name with a long and honourable association with New Zealand’s meat trade. This would be the outcome of a decision by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board to have a uniform grading system for lambs within this weight range throughout the country. / In the North Island prime lambs from 201 b to 281 b and from 291 b to 361 b have been graded as Down cross and crossbred, and the Meat Board intends to apply the same system to the lambs in the South Island, which until now have come under the one grade known as prime Canter-

bury regardless of conformation.

All meat exporters and processors in the South Island are understood to be opposed to the move, and will discuss it with the board when it visits Christchurch next week. Helping U.K. Butcher

In proposing a uniform grading system throughout the country the Meat Board is believed to be interested in making it easier for the British butcher in placing his orders for lamb from New Zealand.

Because of the efficiency of the grading system, New Zealand lamb already has an enviable reputation in that the British butcher can place his order by telephone and be sure of the type of lamb he will receive. This is believed to be a fundamental reason why for some two months of the year New Zealand frozen lamb sells in the United Kingdom for a better price than Home-killed fresh. The Meat Board view is that anything that enhances this system will be of advantage to New Zealand and should be in the over all interest of New Zealand lamb sales. Meat trade interests in the South Island are, however, believed to hold exactly the reverse view. They consider that if anything, the retail meat trade in Britain will be confused by the change in a longstanding system. No Price Change

No price change is involved. Since the resumption of free trade in meat with Britain after World War 11, it is understood, there has been no difference in prices quoted by the Imported Meat Traders’ Association in Britain for Down cross, crossbred, and Canterbury lamb, and schedule prices in New Zealand for these grades have been the same. A local trade view is, however, believed to be that the increase of lamb grades by two to 10—an increase of 25 per cent—will raise hand-

ling charges for no increase in realisation.

A primary object of the change is to place similar types of lambs in similar grades. The present run of Canterbury lambs contains both good Down-type lambs and also “leggy” lambs, and there has been considerable criticism in the United Kingdom in recent years of the number of leggy lambs produced in the South Island. An advantage claimed for the change in grading is that these lambs would be put into the one compartment. It is understood that there is no question of brands of individual companies being interfered with. Historic Name The name of Canterbury has been synonymous with New Zealand’s meat trade since the earliest days. The official history of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company records that soon after the first shipments were made from the province—the company’s first shipment left Lyttelton in 1883—Canterbury meat established a reputation in Britain. “New Zealand meat was one thing in England,” says the history, “but Canterbury meat was something better, and consumers soon began to seek out Canterbury lamb in preference to that sent from any other part of the Dominion.”