Lamb competing poorly

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 26

Lamb competing poorly

PA Wellington Lamb is competing poorly with other meats on the British market, according to a report to the Meat Board. The British consumer sees lamb as the least versatile, fattest and most wasteful meat, with high cost per unit of satisfaction, says Dr Tony Kempster, of the British Meat and Livestock Commission. Dr Kempster has sent a

report to the Meat Board on his visit to New Zealand in May and June this year, when he emphasised the need to produce leaner lambs. The trend from traditional

meat retailing to self-service supermarkets, together with the development of the convenience food market, would aggravate the situation because the deficiencies of lamb were thrown into focus, he said. “Lamb will, therefore, find it increasingly difficult to compete with other meats unless costs can be reduced significantly, perhaps by as much as 30 per cent, and leanness improved. “It is also important to

increase carcase weights because this would bring with it economies in slaughtering cost per unit carcase weight

and more opportunity for processing, which increases the versatility and range of products available." Dr Kempster recommended that farmers who produced lambs most suited to the European market should be identified. If those farmers were also among the most profitable, they couid be used as a model for improvement. He also said that there should be a national breed

trial to compare the performances and carcase characteristics of different breeds.