NEW ZEALAND MEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 59, 7 September 1937, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND MEAT

THE HOME MARKET

FARMER'S INVESTIGATION

BENEFIT OF OTTAWA

(From "The Post's" Representative.' LONDON, August 14.

■ Mr. A. J. Murray (Marlborough) has been inlerestinr himself in stock and market matters as they affect New Zealand. He attended the Royal Show at Wolverhampton, he was present at the London July wool sales, *and he has been more than once to the Smithfield meat market.

As a result of his inspections at Smithfield he has formed the conclusion, in the case of New Zealand lamb carcasses, that some improvement is necessary in the dressing, not so much in the . butchering as 'in ' the wiping down of crutch and necks. This applies, however, only in some isolated cases. Also, he is thoroughly satisfied that the properly finished lamb of 32 to 34 Vo is the ideal weight .for .marketing.

It was naturally interesting, too, for Mr. Murray to make comparisons of the qualities of lamb an,d mutton sent to Smithfield by South America, t Australia, and New Zealand. Feeling that New Zealand is not maintaining her reputation for quality in comparison with Australia, and wishing to ascertain the effect of the Ottawa "quota, he had specially compiled a table showing the official quantities and prices over a series, of years. These figures, which are attached," give some idea of the effect of the restrictions on South America. A great deal is due to the New Zealand representatives at Ottawa and is the reason that the ruling prices of lamb have been maintained in view of the increased quantities from Australia and New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND'S QUQT?A. : "It makes one wonder what such prices would have been," remarked Mr. Murray, f'hsfd not the Ottawa restrictions on foreign meat been made. From very reliable market information it is considered that supplies would have considerably exceeded tl\e, demand, with very serious results to New Zealand and Australia. Assuming that New Zealand lamb had,been affected by Id a pound, and New Zealand mutton by id a pound—which is probably a very conservative estimate—it Would be equivalent to a difference of over £1,500,000 a year to New Zealand. The opinipn of .Smithfield market, is that the conclusion of the Ottawa - Conference in reference to New Zealand getting such, a satisfactory quota was due very considerably to the New Zealand representative,- the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates, who was very ably supported by Mr. David Jones and Mr. R. S. Forsyth, of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board." . It appears to Mr. Murray to be abso-. lively essential that New Zealand must in future do her utmost to retain the advantage in quality of mutton and lamb which she has had .in the past, and in order to do ■ this she must be given every opportunity of importing the best rams procurable.' Authentic figures obtained from the office of the Ministry "of Agriculture show that during the!past seven years Australia has imported '.. from the United Kingdom a total of 343 sheep, of which 221 were ranis of the following breeds:—Border Leicester 23, Dorset Horn-21, Southdown 129,. Ryeland 26. Suffolk 12, Lincoln 2, Romney Marsh 3, English Leicester 2, Kerry Hill 2, and Shropshire 1. These rams unquestionably are having the desired effect upon the quality of Australian lamb, , ..■'■■.,"'■■' .-, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE; Realising how disastrous it would be if foot-and-mouth disease ever got into New Zealand, Mr. '(Murray has gone very thoroughly into the question of the embargo with different reliable British Government officials. The result is that he is perfectly satisfied that under the prevailing conditions and restrictions, there could be jno chance whatever of the disease being introduced through' the importation of stock from the United Kingdom. "I am assured," said Mr. Murray, "that the virus takes from 24 hours to 10 days to develop in an animal, and as exported stock are quarantined for 14 days before being shipped, the disease must be manifest before the time of'shipment. It appears' to "me there may possibly be a remote chanceof the fodder for the voyage being contaminated, but I ; am assured, and I have been shown, that extremely strict precautions are taken in connection with procuring such fodder from an absolutely clean district. "Should, however, by any chancevery' remote—the fodder be contaminated, the animals would develop the disease long before the vessel arrived anywhere near New Zealand. In any case there is no reason why the required fodder should not be" sent from New Zealand, if this were thought necessary. •'■ :

"When it is realised that Australia has been importing cattle and sheep for years and years without getting foot-and-mouth disease in their coun-

try, surely New Zealand can do the same," said Mr. Murray, in conclusion. COMPARATIVE .TABLE. The following is Mr. Murray's table of the mutton and lamb carcasses imported into the United Kingdom and the average prices realised for highest grades (the 'figures were supplied by the Meat Producers' Board):—

This'shows that New Zealand lamb has increased between 1931 and 1936 by 408,000 carcasses, and Australian, during the same period, by 1,242,000 carcasses, while South America reduced by 1,479,000 carcasses.

-In. 1931 New Zealand lamb was .realising 1.36 d more than Australian; in the year .1935 0.86 d; and in 1936 year, 0.72 d, showing very distinctly the extent to which. Australia has improved her quality..-. ,

LAMIt. Year 101!. ' . - L'i-.ct Dcr 1b. Carcasses. il. New Zealand . 3.000,001) <> Australia '.'.. 1,700,000 "<■» South America ... 800,000 5.9 ■ Total 6,100,000 ; Year 1931 (prior to Ottawa). Now Zealand ...'.. 8,167,000 7.7G Australia 3,258,000 tf.'lO South America ... .5.379,000 6.04 Total' .......... 16,804,000 Vear 1035 (prices without quantities). New Zealand .... — 7.25 Australia ...... — ■ ' <''-39 South America. ... — 6.27 Year 1936. New Zealand . 8,575,000 7.05 Australia 4,500,000 6.78 South ' America ... 3,900,000 ( 0.5G Total '....16,975,000

MUTTON. ■ " :.-. • Year 1914. 1'rice nor lb. Carcasses. d. New Zealand 2.740,000 4.6 Australia :.. 2,1540,000 3.9 Soulli -■ America ... 2,020,000 4.3 Total 7,400,000 ■ . . Year 1931. New Zealand 2,284,000 ' 4.52 Australia 1,308,000 3.40 .South America 1.275,000 ' 3.83 Total •. ■ 4,807,000 : Year 1935 (without quantities),, • New Zealand •. — . 4.09' i Australia — ■ 3.3S . South America .... — ' . 4.02 .. ■. Year 1936. ■ ■.- ■. Now Zealand 1,835,000 4.87 Australia 794,000 4.20 South America ... 500,000 . .' '4.41 Total' .......... 3;ia9,000 ' ;'..