MEAT EXPORTS CUT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 6

MEAT EXPORTS CUT

LIVESTOCK MARKET

AFFECTED

LITTLE EXPORT BUYING AT

ADDINGTON

Effects of the Meat Board's decision to cut by 45 per cent, shipments to the United Kingdom of mutton and lamb now held in stock in New Zealand were felt at the Addington livestock market yesterday. The cut applies to stocks in hand on April 15 and subsequent killings to September 30, the end of the board's 1938-39 export season. Over the early stages, export buyers were not operating in the fat sheep pens, with the result that the big proportion of light sorts, of the class usually bought for export, went | cheaply. One of the biggest firms was out of [the fat lamb market, but others were active, export lambs having a good sale at above export schedule rates. The uncertainty among sheep farmers since the first announcement that meat shipments were to be reduced culminated in the Meat Board's announcement. One result was the fact that today's mutton yarding of about 3500 head or less was the lowest for a long time. With drought conditions prevailing in the province since Christmas, farmers were forced to quit sheep and lambs in light condition, suitable for export. The result was abnormally heavy killing. The works were recently glutted with mutton and lamb. It was suggested yesterday that the works will not buy any more ewe mutton this season, but will operate sparingly in lambs and wether mutton. SHIPMENTS COMPARED. How the Dominion's exports of mutton and lamb to date this season have compared with those for the corresponding period of 1937-38 season (covering the period from October 1 to April 30) is revealed by the Meat Board's latest return.

1935-39. 1937-38 Oct. 1 to Oct. 1 to Apr. 15. Apr. 30. Carcasses. Carcasses. Mutton 1,084,246 890,272 Lamb 4,761,027 4,665,859 In addition to the shipments to the United Kingdom, the following quantities went to other destinations, the figures for 1937-38 being in parentheses: Mutton, carcasses, 2737 (1266); lamb, carcasses, 18,419 (9754). The grand* totals were: Mutton, carcasses, 1.086,983 (891,538); lamb, carcasses, 4,779,446 (4,675,613). The principal shipments, apart from those to the United Kingdom, this season have been 2706 carcasses of mutton and 16,687 carcasses of lamb to Canada which, in the corresponding period last season, took 1108 carcasses of mutton and 8414 carcasses of I lamb.

The Meat Board reports that shipments of other meats have been: Chilled beef, quarters, 152,134 (136,750); frozen beef, quarters, 84,387 (74.047); pork, carcasses, 324,113 (357,057); boneless beef, bags, 220,191 (159.026).

KILLINGS AND STOCKS. Killings for export this season compare with those for the corresponding part of 1937-38 as follows:— 1938-39. 1937-38. Oct. 1 to Oct. 1 to Apr. 30. Apr. 30 Chilled beef, qrs 170,523 137,482 Frozen beef, qrs 104,763 78,909 Wether mutton, c/cs. ~ . 1,302,919 828,973 Ewe mutton, c/cs 1,034,645 954,087 Lamb, c/cs. 8,339,210 7,880,194 Pork (porkers), c/cs. .. 288,942 332,294 Pork (baconers) c/cs. .. 191,868 218,378 Boneless Beef, frt. c/cs 375.818 359,217 Boneless Bobby veal, frt. c/cs 66,082 75,598 Sundries, frt. c/cs 279,093 244,596 How the stocks in hand at April 30 compare with those on April 30, 1938, is shown below: — Apr. 30, Apr. 30, 1939. 1938. Chilled beef, qrs 2,722 357 Frozen beef, qrs 40,036 44,581 Wether mutton, c/cs. .. 832,813 451,519 Ewe mutton, c/cs 719,078 627,489 La nib, c/cs 3,353,625 2,945,045 Pork (porkers) c/cs. .. 120,633 151,868 Pork (baconers) 47,414 71,116 Boneless beef, frt. c/cs. 151,155 152,282 Boneless Bobby veal, c/cs 19,545 25,389 Sundries 101,746 84,963 The following quantities had been loaded into ships which at April 30, had not left New Zealand: —Chilled beef, qrs. 18,069 (1518); frozen beef, qrs. 11,226 (1052); wether mutton, c/cs. 52.309 (18,818); ewe mutton, c/cs. 36,338 (15,571); lambs, c/cs. 353,935 (384,631), pork (porkers) c/cs. 10,309 (6665); pork (baconers) c/cs. 7797 (10,257).