MEAT EXPORT YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 21, 25 July 1939, Page 6

MEAT EXPORT YEAR

BOARD'S REVIEW

CHILLED BEEF TRADE

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS

2 i The New Zealand Meat t Producers' g' Board in its seventeenth annual report s1 draws particular attention to the restrictions placed by the British Government on the import of meat for "„ 1939. This is regarded as "a, serious " development." The board proceeds:— -J "It is unfortunate for New Zealand the year-1938 should have been - taken as a basis for our quota for- the s calendar year 1939, as the unfavour- _ able fattening season experienced in ; the 1937-38 season resulted in our tondnage of mutton and lamb landings in "(the calendar year 1938 being lighter f'than it would otherwise have been.; i j Furthermore, the 1938-39 season was I /late, and less new season's lambs than; " j usual arrived Home before December j " 131, 1938. This season, owing to drought i and other factors, our kill of, . I mutton and lamb has been particularly j heavy." i i Reference is made to the discussions! '' between the board and the Govern- j "iment on the situation that had arisen, I ;• when on February 24 last a public! I; statement was made. "T "It was generally expected that the; * killings ~which had been exceptionally [ heavy in the early part of the season : owing to the drought would ease off later in the season. It therefore came as a surprise both to the whole of the r trade and to the board when the kill-. . ings for the month of April proved to f be again heavy, and it became apparent that we were going to have a re^r cord weight of mutton and lamb treat- > ed for shipment for the full season. 1 CURTAILED SHIPMENTS. : "Immediate action therefore became I necessary, and on May 5 the board ' notified all freezing companies of its 1 decision that not more than 45 per ; cent, of" all ■ mutton held in store at ; April 15, 1939, together with subse- [ quent killings to September 30, 1939, may be shipped in vessels scheduled to arrive in the United Kingdom on or before December 10, 1939. The board , estimated that the foregoing quantity would complete the quota allocation of mutton and lamb for arrival in the calendar year 1939 and should enable all British Customs' entries to be made before December 31." The ooard reports that it is at present thoroughly examining various proposals to meet the position brought about by these* restrictions. But it is considered to be inadvisable to make a premature decision as to future action, which will depend upon a number of factors that cannot yet be finally determined. '• As to beef and veal, allocations made to date by the International Beef Conference have been in accordance with estimates furnished by the board and are considered adequate. The estimates supplied by the board during the year in respect to shipments of New Zealand porker and baconer pigs to the United Kingdom have been accepted by the British Government. CONGESTED STORES. The storage capacity of many,works is reported; as being severely taxed and killings - restricted at-; some works. 'In the allotment of shipping space special consideration was given by the board to the points where the trouble was acute and the shipping companies arid the Meat Board specially arranged for vessels to give early loading to ports where the position has been mos.t serious. "There is no doubt," comments the board, "that the refrigerated storage capacity of many freezing works m the Dominion is not equal to the strain of an abnormal season such as the .one just experienced, and the board is of the opinion that it would be in the; inter ests of the Dominion if . storage facilities were increased at a number of works." It is the board's policy jto keep all works in operation as it fully realises the serious position which must otherwise eventuate from the farmers' point of view. At the same time, having regard to the stocks of .frozen mutton and lamb from ail sources in cold store in the United Kingdom, it was necessary 'to watch the position carefully to see that the London market was "not overloaded with meat. To allow excessive supplies to go forward to a market already heavily loaded would be most detrimental to the prices received for our produce, and the board had to avoid this at all costs. ' SHIPPING AND GRADING. In arranging shipping tonnage, the board states that it continues to give careful consideration to the distribution of supplies over as wide a geographical area as possible in Great Britain. While London remains the greatest consuming area, great care must!be exercised to avoid overloading this market and also to cater for the requirements of other centres, having regard to their capacity. Meat shipments to the outports of the United Kingdom are steadily increasing. During the year grading meat for export has again received the usual close attention of the board's staff of supervising graders. This staff was augmented last year in order to deal with the increasing quantity of chilled beef and bther classes of meat now being treated at the works in the North Island, and has enabled closer supervision to be maintained both in regard to the grading of all classes of meat and to the loading of vessels. THE BEEF TRADE. *The export of chilled beef has become an important part of the meat trade. Having regafd to its. furthergreat potentialities, the board stresses the importance of continued efforts being made to still further improve the quality of chiller cattle. Improved [ breeding, and well-finished cattle, together with more regular monthly sup-' plies, it states, will greatly assist in ; developing this trade along the right lines. Shipments of chilled beef from New Zealand to the United Kingdom are shown as follows:— , Season. Quarters. 1933-34 19,576 1934-35 64,514 1935-36 144,169 1936-37 201.105 1937-38 237.186 1938-39 (to May 31) 192,938

It is anticipated that the total shipments, for this season will reach 280,000 quarters. The f.o.b. value of chilled beef .exported from New Zealand, according to the official statistics, for the twelve months ended March 31, 1939, was £708,069. The board states that thorough wintering of cattle intended for slaughter in the following season will enablethem to be fattened earlier and spread more evenly over the season. The "object should be to avoid the rush of chillers usually available during the peak months from the middle of March to the end of April. It is recognised that there will always be more cattle available during the peak period, but it is almost impossible for the shipping companies to cope with an abnormal rush, as the chilling.accommodation of the vessels which are equipped ■to carry chilled beef is limited. THE LONDON MARKET. The Loridon trade requires a steady, flow of supplies, and not abnormal quantities in one short period. Furthermore, chilled beef always maintains a more regular price during the cooler months in England. ■ . . The question of greater regularity in the arrival of New Zealand chilled beef at Home is of vital importance, and is a matter which is receiving the close attention of the board and the shipping companies. The board has emphasised the need for more vessels1 to be equipped with chilled beef chambers, particularly the modern, faster vessels, which will give greater regularity in arrivals and also reduce the length of time the meat is ? in transit. FREIGHT DISCUSSIONS. In the recent freight discussions with ) the shipping companies, the board laid, down certain specific requirements with a view to ensuring regular arrivals oE chilled beef, with the shortest possible time between loading in New Zealand and discharge in London. The chilled beef trade involves *spe- ' cial handling at the freezing works, j specially-equipped railway wagons for | transport to the vessels, and, further-, more, only suitable fast vessels, with specially-designed chambers, can carry chilled beef. Every endeavour is being made to increase these facilities. It is most necessary in this highlyspecialised trade, the board states, that there should-be no weak links between the producer in New Zealand and the consumer in Great Britain, and it is therefore: esstntial that no "delays occur in loading on the New Zealand waterfronts. Realising the importance of securing further improvement in the methods of handling chilled beef, the board/ in October last called a general conference of engineers associated with the various freezing works concerned in this trade, for the purpose of discussing technical aspects with a view to further improvement in the trot-turn of the meat vtvhen displayed on the English market. -

TO