World Demand For Meat Outstripping Production

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31660, 22 April 1968, Page 20

World Demand For Meat Outstripping Production

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 21. World demand for meat is rapidly growing and outstripping production, according to estimates prepared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said at the week-end, commenting on the report, that the move to increase beef production in New Zealand was a move in the right direction.

The F.A.O. estimate says that the demand is expected to reach 92m tons by 1975, compared to 63.5 m tons in 1963. Production is expected to reach about 87m tons, compared with 63m tons in 1963. “It is generally agreed that beef today has assumed the status of an international commodity,” said Mr Holyoake when he opened the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company’s new plant at Te Rapa. “The deficiency figures are only a projection but they do indicate world trends," he said. “All available evidence points strongly to a growing demand for beef.” The Prime Minister cited the United States as an example of the dramatic increase in consumption of beef “Consumption of beef in the United States is about 1001 b a year per head and is expected to reach 1201 b by 1975,” he said. “Nine years ago it was only 811 b. “European countries —with the possible exception of France—will become more dependent on imported beef be-

cause these countries find it difficult to expand beef production without increasing dairy production. “Japan too, is likely to be an important consumer of beef.” said Mr Holyoake. “Therefore the move to increase beef production in New Zealand is a move in the right direction.” But the Prime Minister emphasised that at the farm level in New Zealand—where the final decision rested—the ruling price for wool would have a very heavy bearing on a decision to substitute beef for lamb meat “It will not weigh perhaps quite so heavily where cattle are used in addition to sheep,” said Mr Holyoake. Reviewing the state of farming in New Zealand today, he said that in 1963-64 the Agricultural Development Conference decided that to maintain a rising standard of living for New Zealand's expanding population, the 196263 livestock numbers of 80m ewe equivalents would have to be lifted to Him by 1972. Compound Increase “This called for a 40 per cent increase in ten years—or a 3.5 per cent compound increase each year,” he said. “In the half-way period of 1967 the scoreboard shows that we are slightly ahead of that target,” said Mr Holyoake. “The total increase from 1962 to 1967 is almost 20 per cent and the average yearly increase was 3.7 per cent. “Because the increases are compounded, an average an nual increase of 3 per cent would now achieve the target of Him ewe equivalents by 1972” The Prime Minister reported that the present farming season had seen the sixtieth million sheep mustered for the first time. He said that the number of dairy cattle had increased from 1962 by 12.6 per cent, although there had been

changes in herd size and production per cow and per acre. Herd Size “There are fewer herds—but they are bigger.” The average herd size in the 1961-62 season was 64 cows. In the last season it was 83 cows. “It must be remembered that, in general, net farm in-

come per cow decreases as herd size increases, but net income per acre and in total, increases,” said Mr Holyoake. He said that in New Zealand dairy farming today there was a continuing trend towards the production of more butterfat per cow, per acre and per man. The Prime Minister said apart from meat, wool and milk, it should never be forgotten that New Zealand also produced grains, seeds, fruit, vegetables and berries, nuts, cut flowers, ornamental shrubs, fish and poultry.

Local Rice

“I understand that we could become self-sufficient in rice grown in the Bay of Plenty," he said. “Although some of these

other farm products are exported they are not big earners of overseas exchange, but there is tremendous room for expansion,” said Mr Holyoake. He said he expected that these fields would be one of the questions to be considered by the coming National Development Conference. “I expect that the agricultural production council will be asked to take up a steering role for the whole of agriculture and horticulture at this series of conferences, with a view to adapting to the new sectors the techniques so successfully applied to dairy and sheep farming since the Agricultural Development Conference.” Dairy Products Mr Holyoake said that, during the last five years, expenditure by both the Government and private enterprise on agricultural production and processing research had increased from $3.6m to s6.Bm. “The diversified range of dairy products now being exported by New Zealand is an example of what is being done,” he said. New Zealand's traditional products—butter, cheese and milk powder—were becoming increasingly intermediate materials from which some 87 different products were made and presented in about 150 different forms of pack. “These are being sold in 80 different markets," he said.