BEEF-EATING CAMPAIGN

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 110, 10 May 1923, Page 8

BEEF-EATING CAMPAIGN

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Of the necessity for increased consumption of beef in the Dominion, thare does not appear to be any reasonable doubt. The Meat Producers' Board is most anxious that more beef, for which the overseas markets are unpropitious, should be consumed in the Dominion. Those who are conversant with farming conditions in New Zealand realise that it is of the-highest importance that the raising of beef should continue, especially iti newly-opened country. The technical reasons for this need not be gone into; but the replacement of mutton with beef in the consumers' dietary scale to even a moderate extent, has been estimated to mean £1,500,000 more coming into the country from the exportation of mutton made available by its substitution by beef. I doubt very much if the appeal of the board to the people to "eat more beef" has had the desired effect. The reason appears to be that the greater consumption of beef is not likely to ensue unless the price is made more attractive and the quality supplied is very much better than that complained of by the majority of your other correspondents.' Beef that defies all known culinary skill to distinguish it, when cooked, from old motor tire is not likely to effect that change in the j meat-eating habits of the people that the Meat Board is so anxious to bring about. When, as was stated in "The Post" on Saturday, prime ox beef of the highest quality is sold wholesale to butchers at under 2-id per pound for the ] quarter there ought to be no grounds for complaint on the score of price for really eatable beef. As things are, buying a joint of beef is a pure gamble, no matter what the price. Unless price and quality are made more attractive than at present, I do not see much chance of the Meat Board's appeal having the result desired.—l am, etc., SILVERSIDE.