Cuts Section Now In Beef Contest

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31316, 11 March 1967, Page 8

Cuts Section Now In Beef Contest

A “cuts” section has been incorporated in the Meat Board’s chiller type beef competitions which will be held throughout New Zealand this season. The innovation will meet the wishes of agricultural and pastoral associations which, for some time, have been pressing for a cuts competition. Several associations have, in fact, run cuts competitions in addition to the board’s competitions.

Of special interest to South Island exhibitors is the inclusion of Mid-Canterbury as one of the recognised districts in the competitions. The Methven Agricultural and Pastoral Association has for three years run a cuts competition in conjunction with its annual show and this has attracted a great deal of interest The new district embraces the Ashburton County.

Previously, the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association was responsible for the whole of the South Island except South Otago, Southland and Eastern Southland and for the Canterbury competitions cattle have been drawn from almost every district outside those three. The new Mid-Canterbury district will cater for the increasing number of farmers in the Ashburton County who are turning to beef. Several exhibitors are Interested in competing

In both the Canterbury and Mid-Canterbury competitions, and they will be able to do so as the board has no present intention of confining exhibits to the competition districts. .In fact, South Island producers could compete at North Island competitions if they wished. Besides the cuts competitions and the new district, the conditions for this season incorporate a number of alterations from the old rules. Each exhibitor will now be limited to three entries. The number was four in the old rules. For the London judging, 10 sides instead of six bodies will be sent to the United Kingdom. The competitions will now consist of on hoof, on hooks, and cuts sections. After the usual on hoof judging, entries will be killed, and cut into sides. The left sides will be

quartered and sent to London. The right sides will be judged as cuts. For the cuts section, the right sideswill have the internal suets removed and weighed, and, after quartering, will be judged on measurement and visual appraisal to select the 10 best. These 10 will then be fabricated as cuts to United States market specifications. The percentage of yield of boneless, trimmed (to 3-Bin fat) retail cuts, plus the total points scored, will determine the placings. The system of measurement, and allocation of points scored in visual appraisal, have been worked out by the board, and will apply over the whole of New Zealand. Among other items in the new conditions are that stall feeding, previously barred, is not now disallowed. The old rules confined the competition to cattle of recognised beef breeds or cross. This condition has been dropped. The requirement that steer beef only is required is retained.

The competition must now be held between March 1 and May 31. Previously the dates were January 15 to April 15.

The board has raised its prize money for the district competitions from £3O to £4O, which must be allocated be-

tween the hooks and cuts sections. For some time the freezing companies have been advocates of a cuts section, even though this means a lot of extra work for them. The three Canterbury companies —the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, the New Zealand Refrigerating Company and Thomas Borthwick and Sons—have each given generous amounts toward the prizes at both the Methven and Christchurch competitions this season. Entries have closed for the Methven competition which will be held on March 18 and March 22. The on hoof section will be held in conjunction with the Methven show on March 18 and the cuts section will be judged at the New Zealand Refrigerating Company’s works at Islington on March 22, in conjunction with a field day. Entries for the Canterbury competitions will close on March 17. The on hoofs judging will be on Thursday, March 30, at the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company’s works at Belfast—not at the Addington sale yards as formerly. Killing will be on the following day, and the hooks and cuts sections will be judged on April 4, in conjunction with a field day at the C.F.M. works.