MEAT IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 29, 28 October 1932, Page 11

MEAT IN BRITAIN

Low Prices for Lamb REVIEW OF CAUSE Consumers Cannot Buy Dominion Special Service. Auckland, October 27. “New Zealand meat is exceedingly well advertised in the United Kingdom,” said Mr. G. F. Michie, of the Smithfield firm of Michie and White, who arrived by the Rangitiki from London to-day. “The Meat Board’s publicity campaign is in exceptionally capable hands, and its slogan ‘New Zea land lamb is the best in the world,’ is widely known throughout the length and breadth of Great Britain.” An example of the Meat Board’s enterprise in grasping every opportunity to advertise New Zealand meat was quoted by Mr. Michie. He said that when a large fancy-dress ball or carnival was being held in the provinces, the Board frequently sent a man up from London to appear at the gathering in fancy dress composed of New Zealand meat advertisements. This invariably attracted wide attention, the costume receiving favourable comment of both public and judges. Production and Consumption. “Prices for lamb are greatly depressed at present, due largely to over-sup-ply,” said Mr. Michie. “Prime lambs were fetching 5Jd. a lb when I left London, and I understand there has been a further reduction. You cannot expect high prices when consumption is not normal, and the fact is that a large body of consumers in Britain cannot afford to spend normally on meat. At the same time production is enormously increased. Top-dressing, which is now a world-wide practice, would appear to be helping farmers of all countries to produce many more sheep per acre than they did before. The only thing New Zealand can do in face of the present position is to maintain the already high standard of her lamb, because things have got to right themselves eventually. New Zealand Quality. “The quality of New Zealand lamb reaching London this year was not as high as usual,” said Mr. Michie. He attributed this to the effects of the dry season. A competition conducted at Smithfield by the Meat Board showed that Longburn was producing the best meat in the North Island and Southland in the South Island. Mr. Michie was of opinion that Southland meat was superior to Longburn, and he drew the conclusion that Southland had not been affected by the same adverse factors that caused the falling-off in the quality of North Island meat this year. “One reason for the low prices for meat this year Is the huge quantity of cheap bacon available in England,” said Mr. Michie. “The price has been so low that they have been practically giving bacon away. As an instance, I might quote our own case in purchasing Danish bacon for a client in Wales. The price we paid was only IJd. a lb. New Zealand pork, I might say, has a very good reputation in Britain. It is, however, somewhat fatter than Australian bacon and does not cut so well.” As far as beef was concerned, there was really only one country in the trade, and that was Argentina. A recent shipment of beef from Rhodesia, although not of striking quality, arrived in excellent condition, and once the pest trouble was overcome imports from South Africa were a definite possibility.