Optimism on meat outlook

Press, 21 February 1980, Page 2

Optimism on meat outlook

PA Wellington A high potential for meat sales to the Middle East formed part of a rosy picture of the meat export industry painted by the chairman of fhe Meat Exporters’ Council (Mr R. Cushen) yesterday. Mr Cushen said that four shipments of lamb had already left for Iran this season to begin filling last year’s order for 200,000 tonnes over four years. The 1980 quota was 49,000 tonnes- ' “We have been delighted with the way the industry has responded to this particular order. It is. going v„ry smoothly,” he said. Low lamb kills so far this season, he said, were not considered a great problem. “We are 18 per cent down on the lamb kill compared with last year because of climatic conditions, problems in the freezing industry, and with marketing.

“Although we are concerned, we believe the season will probably run on later and we will still reach the 345 000-tonne target.” , Russia, he said, had been a reliable buyer of New Zealand's mutton over the last few years and had already taken more than 35,000tonnes this season; This incl tided four sales since late 1979. ' “Prospects look better for lamb than for beef, but over all we are very confident when we look forward tu the next decade,” Mr Cushen said. ‘■‘We can see the need for a dramatic increase in meat production, and I am hopeful that price increases will be reflected back to the farmer in the profit he needs.”