“Meat Prices Helped”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 1

“Meat Prices Helped”

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The Meat Board’s new policy of exporting South Island meat to Liverpool and London only through Bluff and Timaru was a factor in the better price for New Zealand lamb in the United Kingdom, said its manager (Mr G. Anderson). The policy had resulted in a regular pattern of supplies to Britain and this had improved prices, Mr Anderson told the Transport Commission which is reviewing the two-port loading system.

Mr Anderson’s submissions' were confirmed by the Overseas Shipowners’ Committee which described the programme as an unqualified success.

There had been a substantial saving in ship days, counsel for the committee (Mr L. M. Grieg) said. Other South Island ports, however, had felt the effect. Counsel for the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr N. H. Buchanan) said the board had seen the 21,048 tons of meat exported from Lyttelton to London and Liverpool in the first six months of last year reduced to 274 tons for the same period this year.

Mr Anderson said t£e price of New Zealand lamb in Britain during the first six months of the present season was up 3d a pound compared with the same period in 1967.

Ship time in port under the the new scheme averaged 22.41 days, compared with 29.14 days in 1966-67, he said. During the first six months of 1968- 47,596 tons of export meat for London or Liverpool had been shipped from Timaru and 48,057 tons from Bluff.

The shipping, lines had saved about £219,000, he said. The saving of shipping days and sterling would be taken into account in the freight rates discussion in Wellington next week between shipping lines and the producer boards, Mr Greig said today.

The chairman of the commission (Judge K. G. Archer) said he did not know If a saving of £219,000 would affect freight rates. It seemed only a drop in the bucket to him.