Improved Lamb Sales In New Export Markets

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 1

Improved Lamb Sales In New Export Markets

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 19. . Exports of New Zealand lamb to markets other than Britain and North America increased by 54 per cent last season, the chairman of the Meat Board (Sir John Ormond) announced today.

Sir John Ormond released figures as chairman of the Lamb Market Diversification Committee, which consists of board and meat processing and export representatives. Sir John Ormond said that the final figures showed that 9 per cent of the increased volume of lamb produced in the 1966-67 season had been exported to markets other than Britain. In tonnage this in itself represented a

worth-while increase to outside markets. He pointed out that 1967 purchases of lamb by the Meat Export Development Company (N.Z.), Ltd, for Canada and the United States had not been as great as the previous season, partly because the company had been holding considerable stocks in store for those markets. There was a very marked increase in shipments to other parts of the world—lo,o6o tons from the 1965-66 season’s production and 15,600 for 1966-67—the first year of the formal diversification

scheme. This was an increase of about 5500 tons, or 54 per cent. Shipments to Europe rose 400 tons, the Far East 600 tons, the Pacific 350 tons, and Africa 500 tons. Sir John Ormond said that lamb exports to other markets for the present season were so far substantially ahead of those for the comparable period of the previous season. “This shows sound market development, which has become vital to the national economy,” he said.