Record tally so far

Press, 8 February 1985, Page 2

Record tally so far

Freezing companies in Canterbury are making record kills this season, because farmers are quitting their stock earlier than usual.

Up to a third more stock has been killed at several works than at the corresponding time last year. One company, N.C.F. Kaiapoi, tallied half a million stock on its earliest date yet, February 5, and expects to pass one million this season for only the second time.

To date, 522,000 sheep and lambs have been killed at N.C.F., compared with

396,000 at the corresponding time last year. The tally at the Waitaki N.Z. Refrigerating Company’s seven South Island works was 3,635,051 on Feb-

ruary 4, up from 2,815,851 at the corresponding time last year. The Canterbury. Frozen Meat Company’s three works at Belfast, Fairton, and Pareora had killed 2,229,938 sheep and lambs by February 2, compared with 1,957,241 at the corresponding date

last year. High stock numbers after a good spring lambing ap-

pear to have contributed to the big kills. Other factors have been the driest conditions in the region for several years, and fewer industrial disruptions. Waitaki’s operations manager, Mr Max Willyams, said a high proportion of lightweight Alpha lambs had been killed.

A C.F.M. spokesman said the average weight of lambs killed at the company’s works was 12.2 kg, down from 13.4 kg last year. Some stock is being bought from Canterbury by Southland freezing companies.