Three Grades Of Lamb Proposed By Committee

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 10

Three Grades Of Lamb Proposed By Committee

Changes in New Zealand meat export grading procedures have been recommended to the Meat Board.

The establishment of three main grades for lamb is envisaged, one selected for a desirable degree of fat cover and conformation, another grade for lambs with less satisfactory leg and loin development, and a third for lambs selected for leanness. These grades would not distinguish between Down and crossbred lambs.

In a report just submitted to the board, the Meat Export Grades Investigation Committee says changes are required “to orient production more closely to consumer demand and to maintain New Zealand’s premier position in the international frozen lamb trade.”

The committee, after a detailed study of grading, including market requirements in many countries, says the grading of New Zealand lamb was commented on favourably everywhere the committee went and was well understood and accepted by importing countries. “In general, buyers

have full confidence in our grading and buy without inspection,” the report says. The committee comprised Messrs P. W. Smallfield (chairman), S. D. Reeves, who died recently, and A. C. Wright (Dunsandel). The committee sets out a programme aimed at the progressive tightening of the present allowances for fat cover on export lamb and the segregation of lambs with less satisfactory leg and loin development, which it says are spoiling some lines of crossbred lambs, particularly from parts of the South Island. “Leggy” Lambs After collection of data on numbers, origin and the breeding, and farm management practices concerning long, leggy lambs the committee recommends their segregation and export as a special “Omega” grade. The committee says that the market will probably demand a lower fat cover than is cur-

rently acceptable, and it may be necessary to divide the prime grade lambs into two classes on the basis of fat cover, allowing demand to channel production to the class in greatest demand. The committee says it made a thorough study of trade reaction and found the introduction of the Down grade to the South Island would not be in the interest of marketing New Zealand lamb. The report goes on:— “If the main classes of undesirable carcases were excluded from the Downs and crossbreds, the remainder would be fairly similar in conformation to that exhibited by the Downs and main bulk of the crossbreds. I' the fat cover is kept to an acceptable standard the amalgamation of the two grades should meet the requirements of most buyers.” Grades Described The committee recommends that preliminary steps be taken with a view to the introduction for the 1966-67 season (beginning October 1, 1966) of the following main lamb grades:— Y’s (and Alphas), selected for leanness. Primes, selected for desirable fat cover and conformation. Omega, consisting of prime long, leggy lambs with a weak loin development. “Artialgamation of downs and crossbreds into one prime grade, provided the fat cover is kept to. an acceptable level, and the long, leggy, fat-backed lambs excluded, will give a grade consisting of fairly uniform blocky-carcase lambs of the type which has gained for New Zealand the premier position in the frozen lamb trade,” says the committee. The committee stresses that no changes in the general basic breeding practices are warranted at present. “The Down conformation is desired, but the fact which frequently accompanies it is sometimes a cause of complaint."