Meat Exports

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 118, 12 February 1941, Page 9

Meat Exports

Sir, —The statement issued this weekend by tire New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board relating to restrictions on over 721 b. ewes for export, the reiteration that “telescoping” is insisted on by the British Government, also the New Zealand Government’s statement that this season’s meat output is not yet actually sold, must cause misgivings in the minds of New Zealand farmers. Common sense and technical knowledge rules out the “telescoping” method. ’Last war, “telescoping” cost the British Government millions, yet our Meat Board accepts the responsibility for that process, on behalf of the New Zealand farmer. In the off season, July and August, 1940, a trial shipment of, say, a thousand carcases, treated by every known method of preparation, should have been made, all parcels carefully tested for the edible contents, space requirements, cost of treatment, packing, etc.; this data to be the basis for our controller and the New Zealand board to treat with the British authorities regarding values and conditions of preparation; to neglect these problems, so plainly visible, was bad business. The storage problem this end was attended to. but the progress is very slow. The sale and preparation part of this meat export trade from New Zealand definitely requires a representative “on the spot” at the British headquarters. A representative is necessary who is experienced in New Zealand conditions of production, its breeds, and its seasons, and who also understands the variety of the British meat trade requirements. This is a specialist’s job, and cannot be handled by the accountant or farmer-trained type. I gave a demonstration of the “trimming” method on January 30 at Ngahauranga; the audience present could not produce one man who had any practical experience in the buying or selling of meat in Great Britain, and that illustrates the moral of this letter, viz., theory alone means failure. —I am, etc., SAM S. TIMBS. Lower Hutt, February 8.