Meat stocked

Press, 20 December 1986, Page 33

Meat stocked

Most British retailers were well stocked with pork and poultry for Christmas, but wholesalers were concentrating on the New Year trade which was increasing the demand for other meats, said the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board in its weekly market report. British importers had reported a better response to the New Zealand lamb trade. PM grade carcases were in short supply and were obtaining a premium over other grades. This had helped raise prices for all grades above those achieved at the same time last year.

On the Smithfield market New Zealand PL grade lambs were quoted at 5NZ3.75 to $3.90 a kg on Smithfield. Small quanities of new season’s lamb would arrive in the Christmas period, and this was expected to be sold quickly because of the traditional early demand from butcher chains.

There was some concern in the British meat trade about the Meat and Livestock Commission’s recent statement that a large surplus of domestic product into the first quarter of 1987 was expected. The number of other sheep and lambs slaughtered could total 3.2 million head, 7 per cent higher than in January-March 1986. The' total domestic kill for 1987 was predicted to be 14.6 million head, 5 per cent more than the estimate for 1986. This could affect the New Zealand lamb trade.

There was a softer tone to the United States imported manufacturing beef market this week. Continued pressure from domestic beef was holding imported beef down at proces lower than those predicted by traders several weeks ago. The average price for imported bull beef fell USO.5c to 98c a pound c.i.f. (5NZ4.10 a kg), and imported cow beef was steady at SNZ3.9I a kg.