MEAT PRODUCTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 53, 30 August 1940, Page 10

MEAT PRODUCTION

NEW RECORD LEVEL

CURRENT SEASON'S FIGURES

STATE OF FLOCKS

Figures dealing with the record kill in New Zealand this season and the state of flocks were given at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board today by the chairman (Mr.T.A.Duncan), when moving the adoption of the annual report and 'balance-sheet. ~,,.-- --"The effect of the record kill-this season so far as mutton and lamb are concerned is reflected in the flock returns at April .30, 1940," he said. "The official interim figures just.to hand show that the date are now estimated a. 31,050,3 jJ, a decrease of 846,241. The breeding ewes at the same date aro officially estimated at 19,676,458, a decrease of 283,841 "This Dominion decrease of 840.241 sheep does not reveal the whola portion, as greater killings have taken nlacc this season since April 30, as compared with the killings for the same period last year. These additional killing* this season amount to d&u.uuu sheep and lambs, so that the total'decrease represents approximately 1 200,000. Similarly, the increased kill lof ewes since April 30 further reduces the ewe flocks, so that the real deI crease, compared with the previous ! year, is approximately 550.000. PRODUCTION POSITION.

"Last season's record kill has teen exceeded by this season's production, and a fresh record has been established in beef, mutton, and lamb. "The total weight of meat of sll classes killed for export at all works during the current season to- August 3 was 12,767,994 freight carcasses, representing an increase over the previous season's killings to July 31, 1939 (the nearest ! comparable date) of 1,948,202 freight carcasses. This improved production represents' an increase'of 18 per cent. "Lambs killed this season total 10,381,595 (North Island 5,308,198. South Island 5,073,397), an increase of G39.092. to which the North Island contributed 568103, and the South Island 70,939. j "A very substantial increase is also shown in the mutton group, the wether killings this season having been 1.131,151 carcasses, and ewes 1.919,562. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous season, wether killings have decreased by 139,038, but the killings of ewes for export have increased by 766,732, making a net improvement this.,season of 627,694 carcasses. "This season's killings of beef in quarters total 687,058 (North Island 672,515, South Island 14,543), as compared with 401,886 quarters for last season, representing the large increase of 71 per cent., or 285,172 quarters. PORK FIGURES. "In the original war purchase agreement, the British Government stipulated that 75 per cent, of the total weight of pork shipped should be in the 1011b to 1801b range, viz., baconer weights. However, in April, the United Kingdom Ministry of Food agreed to the removal of this restriction on the percentage of porkers to baconers, though its existence for a substantial part of the season resulted in the porker killings being 101,527 carcasses only, as compared with 354,017 for the corresponding period of last season. "Farmers have carried their pigs to baconer weights, with the result that killings of this type are 139,069 carcasses ahead of those for the previous season; The result is that although in numbers, the killings of porkers and baconers together have dropped by 113,421 (540,685 last season, and 427,264 this season) the current season's pror auction in actual weight is now slightly ahead of last year."