Lamb Unwanted In Queensland

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31145, 23 August 1966, Page 1

Lamb Unwanted In Queensland

The New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Brisbane (Mr A. F. Jacobsen) last week was reported as saying that New Zealand expected to supply frozen lamb to Brisbane and northern Queensland within a year. But Queensland lamb producers do not want New Zealand lamb in their state.

Any moves by New Zealand to supply frozen lamb to their state would meet with the strongest resistance, the secretary of the State Lamb Producers’ Association of Queensland, Mr K. J. Kelly, said in Brisbane last week.

If it came to a showdown, he believed producers would take the matter up at Federal Government level.

Mr Kelly said the subject would be discussed at an early meeting of the state lamb committee and then raised at an all-states committee meeting in Melbourne early next month. The industry in Queensland felt that there was a tremendous potential for increased lamb production, particularly in the brigalow area (country

covered by a type of scrub), he said. The state committee’s promotion was aimed at preparing to meet this increased production. “We feel also that we must work in liaison with lamb producers in southern states who, under normal circumstances, are able to meet Queensland j requirements,” he said. “You can rest assured that we will take steps to try to . stop the entry of New Zea- ' land lamb in the interests of , our local producers and our ' southern suppliers.

“We do not want our own producers, who have had to battle to obtain recognition and get their product on the market, see their world tumble around them because of the entry of an overseas competitor.”

Asked if he thought the New Zealand proposal would involve air-freight across the Tasman, Mr Kelly said: “Yes, and for that reason I consider it would be too costly to fly it in.”