No apology for meat industry

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33874, 20 June 1975, Page 16

No apology for meat industry

Speaking to dairy farmers in Wellington last week the deputychairman of the Meat Board, Mr A. M. Begg, made no apologies for the meat industry.

“Without any stablisation and without a complete marketing authority the ' export meat industry has been an outstanding growth industry over the i past 20 years,” he said speaking to the Dominion conference of the dairy section of Federated Farmers.

In the year to the end of last December, he said, dairy products earned the country 5321.8 m while wool earned $337m and meat and meat by-products $650.5m, and in the boom year of 1973 export meat earnings hit a peak of $756m.

“Success in this country always seems to attract criticism,” he said. “Whether this stems from envy I would not know. As a result of criticism the meat industry has been subjected to two commissions of inquiry. I know of no other industry which has received such attention. While the latest commission did not find the industry perfect, its report certainly indicated that it found no great fault with its marketing.

“Around the world New Zealand meat sells in competition with frozen meat from other countries and commands a premium. New Zealand lamb is always priced above the Australian or Argentinian product. “New Zealand beef around the Pacific Basin- is priced higher than its other grass-fed competitors. New Zealand meat is keenly sought because of its consistent quality, because it is handled by reputable exporters whose word .is their bond and because every effort is made to ensure prompt and regular delivery.

“New Zealand butter in Britain is outsold by most of its rivals. New Zealand cheese is sold largely as a processing commodity.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating and even in this year of depressed prices, New Zealand will earn more from meat and meat byproducts than from any other source ...”