N.Z. MEAT BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 50, 27 August 1937, Page 11

N.Z. MEAT BOARD

ANNUAL MEETING

PAST YEAR REVIEWED

The annual meeting of delegates, constituting the electoral committee of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board was held today, the chairman of the .board, Mr. T. A.- Duncan, presiding. Owing to climatic conditions, said Mr. Duncan, the past season's activities had been affected. Killings of lambs and ewes, nevertheless, showed an increase1 over the previous year, but wethers showed a decrease. The total weight of all classes of meat exported, however, would show an increase over the preceding year ana would constitute a record for the Dominion. He referred to 'the efficiency of the board's grading system, which, he said, must inspirt- confidence in buyers. The board's attention to this matter was evidenced by the fact that quality claims were rarely heard of today. The board had exercised its usual care in the regulation of • supplies of meat going forward to the British market, and the board's system had been markedly successful in avoiding excessive fluctuations in prices and thereby maintaining a higher average of prices than would be attained under conditions of an unregulated market. London remained the greatest consuming centre, but great care must be given to avoid overloading this market by allotting as much (space as possible for discharge at other ports in the United Kingdom. BRITAIN'S MEAT POLICY. As recently -announced by the Government, an agreement had been concluded with the United Kingdom Government by which the total allocation of imports of New Zealand mutton and lamb for the calendar year 1937 had been fixed at 4,010,000cwt. This allocation must be considered as very satisfactory. The agreement, first of all, provided for a basic allocation of 3,900,000cwt. This was substantially in advance of the actual imports from New Zealand for the year 1936, which were 3,530,700cwt. Provision had also been made in the agreement for a reduction of 3£ per cent.' in the basic allocation if prices of United Kingdom mutton and lamb for the first six months of 1937 fell appreciably below the level of the two previous years. Such a reduction if it had been made, would still have left the allocation"1 at, a figure in excess of last year's imports. Not only would the reduction not now apply, but the basic allocation, had been increased by HO.OOOcwt, bringing the total up to 4,010,000cwt. The.board had continued its active policy of keeping New Zealand meat prominently before the consumer and the meat trade in Great Britain, and the many flattering tributes continually being received by the board from all sections of the trade at Home demonstrated that the board's publicity was on the right lines and was having effective results. ' Other aspects of the trade dealt with by Mr. Duncan in his address appear under separate headings. • Now that Grea-f Britain was definitely regulating supplies of all imported meat, he concluded, it was of vital importance to the farmers of the Dominion that there should always be an' organised body, such as the Meat Board.'to represent the meat producers. Mr. Duncan also'paid a high tribute to 1 the loyalty and efficiency of the board's I staff. , . | TRIBUTES TO BOARD. Commenting on .the annual report, Mr. H. Smith (Southland)' expressed the opinion that the board's district j lamb competition was a very good thing for the meat,industry, and great help was given by the freezing companies. Mr. I. Trotter (South Canterbury) said that he was pleased to have been associated with the board's establishment, because it had been a success from the start. There was tremendous opposition at the start, but this had all disappeared. He believed that in Scotland they knew where New Zealand was situated, thanks to.the Meat Board's publicity. Representatives of other districts also spoke in appreciation of the work of the chairman and of the board. The report and balance-sheet, a summary of which has appeared in "The Post," 'Were adopted. PRODUCERS' REPRESENTATIVES. The sitting members, Sir William Perry and Messrs. H. D, Acland and J. D. Ormond, jun., were re-elected as tho three producers' representatives on, the board. There was one other candidate ior office.