New Lamb Grading Adopted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31339, 8 April 1967, Page 3

New Lamb Grading Adopted

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 7. New lamb-grading arrangements adopted by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board will come into operation at the beginning of the new export season on October 1 this year. The changes involve the amalgamation of the prime crossbreds and prime down grades in the North Island and the Prime Canterbury grade in the South Island. Thus, the present distinction between North and South Island grade names will no longer apply after October 1, 1967. The other major change will

be the introduction of the Omega grade, consisting of prime lambs which because of conformation and other differences do not qualify for the main prime grades. There will be two weight ranges' in the new Omega grade, 281 b and under; and 291 b to 361 b. . There will be no changes in the weight ranges which at: present apply to prime lambs, . Ys and Alpha lambs. The changes incorporate recommendations to the board by the Meat Exports Grades Investigation Committee, which Was set up by the board to examine the grading system in relation to the requirements of overseas markets. The board says that the investigation committee found that there were a number of prime condition lambs which lacked the good conformation that the trade in the United

i Kingdom correctly regarded as typical of New Zealand ‘ lamb. The presence of these lambs, the number of which appeared to be increasing, tended to detract from the general excellence and evenness of the main bulk of prime-grade lambs. The committee, after hearing criticism from customers overseas, considered that these lambs should form a separate Omega grade. The board describes the Omega grade as being prime lambs having the following characteristics: Legs only moderately fleshed and showing long shanks, loins tending to be narrow, indicating light fleshinr in both the lumbar and ' dorsal vertebrae. In the last year the board i has been taking a count of ! the lambs that would qualify

I as Omega at freezing works. The result of this count has shown that there are sufficient Omega-type lambs com- . Ing forward to justify their , segregation from the main , prime grade and their inclu- ■ sion in a separate export grade. The board is convinced that the segregation of the Omega lambs will make the general : run of prime lambs more uniform. The investigation com- ; mittee, in its report to the board said: “Amalgamation of downs and crossbreds into one prime grade, provided the fat cover ; is kept to an acceptable level, i and the Omega-type excluded, ■ will give a grade consisting lof fairly uniform blockycarcase lambs of the type I which have gained New Zea- ' land a premier position in '[the frozen lamb trade.”