BEEF AND LAMB

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 65, 14 September 1936, Page 10

BEEF AND LAMB

THE HOME MARKET

NEW ZEALAND'S PRESTIGE

SIZE OF JOINTS The prestige of New Zealand beef and lamb has never been higher, on the British market, according to Mr. N. S. McClumpha, a;member of the staff of the New Zealand Meat Board in London, arrived at Wellington by the Maunganui today to ga*n a knowledge of meat-producing conditions in the Dominion. Mr. McClumpha said that he was satisfied that New Zealand producers could always command a good market, particularly with lamb, which was on a J premium,, if the present standard was maintained. The stage had been reached where criticisms of the New Zealand product were seldom heard. Mr. McClumpha has been engaged on propaganda work for the Meat Board in Britain and considers that his visit to New, Zealand will be of considerable assistance to him when he returns. Propaganda was very essential, particularly ih poorer; areas, he said. The sale of meat could be roughly divided ihto-.two classes—the butcher who had a:family trade, and the shops that sold for cash. The former could find a .market for the good article, but the latter always.tried to keep the -price low.- The price per pound was not as important as the price per joint, and' in > the poorer districts the large New Zealand joints were not as popular as the.'Smaller foreign ,article. He had been working to convince the consumers, that half th? New Zealand joint with, its smaller percentage of bone wis ; a better commercial proposition j than the foreign 201b lamb. He had conducted a campaign along those lines in South Wales with considerable 'success. ; CHILLED BEEF TRADE. ;.Chilled beef.from New Zealand had been received favourably on the Home * market, Mr.; McClumpha said, and he was satisfied that that side of the trade had, great possibilities if properly de- ■ velpped. The export of chilled beef ' from New Zealand was still in the experimental stage, and had been handicapped, by the lack of proper shipping. The-chilled beef had been exported in! chambers constructed for frozen beef, and when ships with smaller chambers, capable of doing the journey -in. a shorter time, were put in commission,, a big step fanward would have-been made. Once proper transport was available all that would be needed at this end would be a careful check on size and quality. The quarters, must not be too big and must be just right; not too fat and not scraggy. At. the present time, said Mr. McClumpha, Britain could absorb New Zealand's exports of meat without difficulty, but the continuation of that. state of affairs depended on the amount of, foreign beef allowed into .Great Britain, The policy of the British Governmeht.had improved the market for New "Zealand beef, and there was a conflict of opinion as to what lines should be followed at Home. The encouragement of dairying had led to a great, deal of cow beef being placed on they market, and this had spoiled .the home-grown market to a considerable extent. The cow beef was cheaper than .first-class home-grown beef, and had been stocked by the cash butchers to'; reduce prices. However, it had given the impression that good homegrown beef was difficult to procure, arid the consumers had swung over to chilled beef because they knew its quality was uniform. ' MEETING THE CONSUMER. Discussing the problem of placing New Zealand lamb on British tables, Mr. McClumpha said that a 281b lamb would,command a penny a pound more than the New Zealand 381b lamb. However, he did not think that New Zealand growers would be wise to put all' of their lambs on the market at the former weight, because only a percentage of the market demanded the smaller joints. There was already a percentage of smaller lambs from-New Zealand, and the only thing an increase ,in then? numbers could effect _ -IwaV greater,, competition with the foreign 201b, lamb. The foreign lamb wiis ■ of ' much poorer quality than the New Zealand article, but the butcher couldcutit up and sell a leg for half a-crown or a shoulder for twp shillings. ■ In the districts where such lamb was sold, one householder would insist upon having the full leg because her neighbour had bought one, and one of his greatest difficulties had been to convince such people that hilf.a New Zealand leg was better than1 a whole foreign one. .The Meat. Board had established classes all over the country for its salesmen, said Mr. McClumpha, and he had been engaged in giving talks to tfie younger men. They were all very keen, and wanted to know everything about the New Zealand end of the tirade.: He intended to make a careful study of the slaughter yards and freez-1 r#j.. works while in the' Dominion for the "purpose -of improving his propaganda work. ■