MUTTON AND LAMB

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 14

MUTTON AND LAMB

THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE

The first annual report of the Australian Meat Board states that as the Australian mutton and lamb trade has been always almost entirely confined to the United Kingdom, the closing of European markets has not affected this section as it has the beef exporter. Further, it is pointed out, the restriction .on foreign mutton and lamb imports to the United Kingdom arising out of the Ottawa Agreements have resulted in a marked expansion of the industry. Exports to all destinations increased from 73,786 tons in 1931-32 to 87,587 tons in 1934-35. About. 98 per cent, of those shipments went to Great Britain (elsewhere in the report it is shown that beef shipments to the United Kingdom increased since the Ottawa Agreements became operative from 56.200 tons in 1931-32 to 85,050 tons in 1934-35). The future expansion of the Australian mutton and lamb trade ,the board considers, depends on two factors:—

1. Increased demand in the United Kingdom, about the possibility of which opinions differ. 2. Decline in New Zealand produc-

tion. £ It is acknowledged that there is a divergence of opinion on the latter point. Those who support the theory point to the fact that exports which in 1931-32 totalled 195,350 tons dropped to 177 750 in 1933-34 and only recovered to 181,650-in 1934-35. The report concludes the section dealing with mutton and lamb by saying that "while Australian sheep raisers have demonstrated their ability to produce mutton and lamb of a quality comparable with the highest class New Zealand product, they have still. to undertake seriously the task of raising the average level of their product. In the opinion of experts this can be done by concentrating on the raising of the type of crossbred which produces the particular type of carcass favoured by the United Kingdom consumer.'