ACTIVITIES OF THE MEAT BOARD

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 300, 15 September 1936, Page 11

ACTIVITIES OF THE MEAT BOARD

Propaganda in Britain I POSSIBILITIES OF CHILLED BEEF Visiting New Zealand for the purpose of studying meat production, Mr. N. S. McClumpha, of the London staff of the New Zealand Meat Board, arrived at Wellington yesterday by the Maunganui. He stated that New Zealand producers could command a good markgt in Britain, particularly for lamb, as long as the present standard was maintained.

Mr. McClumpha stated that propaganda, iii which work he was engaged, was very necessary in Britain, particularly in the poor districts. There were two classes of meat vendorsj family butchers who could find a market fot quality, and shops selling for cash, that were interested in keeping the prices low. In the poor districts the big New Zealand joints were not as popular as the smaller foreign ones, and his work was to convince people that half the New Zealand joint, with its small proportion of bone, was the better bargain. He had conducted a successful campaign in South Wales to this end.

The Meat Board, said Mr. McClumphe, had established classes all over the country for its salesmen. He had been giving talks to the younger men, who were very keen, and anxious to hear all about, the New Zealand end of the industry. For this, as well as for other propaganda purposes, he wished to make a careful study of New Zealand slaughter-yards and freezing factories.

Britain at present could take the whole of New Zealand’s meat output without difficulty, but whether that remained so would depend on the amount of foreign beef admitted. The policy of the Home government had improved the market for New Zealand beef; encouragement of dairying at Home had led to a great deal of cow beef being sold, which had marred the market for home-grown beef. Being cheap, this cow beef had been stocked by the cash butchers, but it had given the impression that good hdhie-grown beef was hard to procure. Consumers in consequence bought chilled beef, which they knew to be of uniform quality. New Zealand chilled beef was well considered at Home, and its export had great possibilities. Speaking of lamb. Mr. McClumpha stated that a Xew Zealand 2Slb. lamb would command a penny a pound more than, the 381 b. lamb. But as only a section of the purchasers demanded smaller joints, it would be unwise for New Zealand producers to put all their lambs on the market at the lighter weight. There was already a percentage of smaller lambs being exported from New Zealand, and an increase in their number would only increase the competition with the foreign 201 b. lamb. The latter was of much poorer quality than New Zealand produce, but the butcher could cut it up and sell the joints cheaply, in districts where one housewife would insist on having a whole joint simply because her neighbour had done so. His greatest difficulty. said Mr. McClumpha, was to persuade such people that half a New Zealand leg of lamb was worth a whole foreign one.