Reduction In Ewe Killings For Japan

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 20

Reduction In Ewe Killings For Japan

(New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, January 24. Because of a lack of sales opportunites in the Japanese market for ewe mutton, the Gisborne Refrigerating Company has announced that ewe killings at its Kaiti freezing works will be restricted until further notice.

Many farmers had their first news of this at a ewe fair in Gisborne yesterday. The market was badly hit by the announcement. There was one sale exceeding $5, for a line of five-year ewes, but nothing else even approached the $5 mark. Farmers at the sale expressed concern at the short notice of the change, which included the cancellation of bookings for substantial numbers of ewes for processing. However, some farmers said that events in recent weeks in the meat export field had prepared producers for some adjustments in the order of stock slaughter.

A spokesman for the company said today that as marketing at the moment did not allow ewe mutton to be kept moving it had become necessary, if the anticipated kill of lambs and beef was to be satisfactorily handled, for some restriction to be placed on ewe killings until the shipping position became clearer.