Gulf States lamb trade

Press, 19 August 1977, Page 1

Gulf States lamb trade

When many a Christchurch family sits down to its Sunday joint in winter, it is also likely that families in cities of the Persian Gulf will be eating similar fare, bought on the same market, perhaps no longer than a week previously. A winter trade in fresh lamb has been developed by the Christchurch firm of C. S. Stevens and Company, Ltd—and the interesting aspect is that its business amounts to yearround killing, packing, and selling. Winter operations began last year, just before the main killing season came to a close.

From the farmers' point of view, this activity on the winter market at Addington has been most valuable. Week after week, the firm which kills the stock for C. S. Stevens, has bought up the lightweight lambs, and provided a very solid floor to the market.

The manager of C. S. Stevens (Mr R. H. Trounce) said that his company was looking for the 14kg to 15kg lamb, or 301 b to 321 b. “This means we are not supplying a different sort of lamb in winter from the

type of lamb sold in summer.” Mr Trounce is well pleased with the venture into winter buying, killing, and packing. Until the scheme was launched, the firm’s Gulf buyer took fresh lamb from Europe when export killing came to an end in New Zealand. Now he gets his fresh lamb solely from New Zealand. Each week, C. S. Stevens flies out a ton of fresh lamb cuts from Christchurch. Legs are the most popular. Other parts of a carcase are frozen for export in the usual way. July is the only month when business to the Gulf eases off. This is because it is a very hot month there, and the demand for lamb eases temporarily. Mr Trounce expects the winter trade in fresh lamb to continue, as it works in well with the firm’s packing house, which is also working on a year-round basis.

C. S. Stevens sends representatives to the Gulf countries once or twice a year — and Mr Trounce emphasises that presentation is all-important if meat is to sell readily.