MEAT QUESTION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 235, 17 September 1934, Page 10

MEAT QUESTION

Board's Activities H.B. FARMERS ADDRESSED Interesting addresses on tho activities of the Meat Board aud the effects of the meat quota were given on Saturday afternoon to the Hawke’s Bay branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union by Mr. J. H. Joll and Mr. E. Averill, Hawke’s Bay representatives on the electoral committee of the Meat Board. Farmers, said Mi Joll, failed to recognise the great work that the Meat board was doing. I'he success r iailurt that attended the handling of meat which amounted tn value last year to £13,802,232, meant either success oi failure to the Dominion. Il the handling ot the export ot meat was left tc a few agents the growers would not obtain the prices that tliev should n England The board had been responsible for a reduction in freight charges ot 31 pei cent, which was a considerable item to producers With all the circumstances concerning the depression taken into account, Mr Joll considered that under the board's control the prices had been well maintained. EXPORTS LAST YEAH. In New Zealand last year, he said, were 28,550.770 sheep, and during the season 8,671,350 laniUs were exported. In addition were shipped 981,511 ewes, 832,291 wethers, 311.U0 quarters of beef, boneless beef (60 lb. careases). The average weight over the last 10 years was 54 lbs. for ewes, 56 lbs. for wethers, aud 31 lbs. for lambs. The shipments qf boneless beef last year amounted to 11,000 tons, being an increase of 6000 tons on the amount shipped during the previous season. With such a big increase, Mr Joll said that there was no wonder that the English farmer complained about the inferior quality, which was likely to interfere with his own industry. That the Ottawa agreement had undoubtedly been ot great benefit to New Zealand was the opinion expressed by Mr. Averill. Under it, Argentina was put on a restriction which if not in operation would have seriously affected the prices obtained by New Zealand producers. Without that restriction he was satisfied that for lower-quality owes the New Zealand growers would not have received anything. For a time Argentina grossly exceeded hei quota, but was subsequently penalised inco it was detected. N.Z. OVER-EXPORTS. New Zealand had also put in more than her share of excess shipments comprising of boneless beef, calves and pigs. The over-exporting of pigs would interfere with the suipment of lamb aud mutton, aud a way of greatly easing tho position would be to ship pigs as bacon. Touching upon the question of new markets. Mr Averill said that that question had been considered by tho Meat Board. It was possible that a small quantity might be shipped to America. The balance of trade was all against New Zealand, and it was a matter that the Government could push. The outlook for such a market he did not think was very hopeful. The chairman of the board had expressed the opinion that something might be done with the Russian Government with boneless beef, and New Zealand could balance by taking petrol. Rcletring to boneless beef, he did not think that it would interfere with the British farmer, as most of it went to the large industrial centres, being made into sausages, which were sold at sixpence a pound. The people in these centres, if they could not buy this class of meat, would not buy anything, <s they would not be able to attord to pay the price. tor meat that the British farmer would require. Without the quota New Zealand would have been hit very hard, because both Argentina and Australia consume a much larger proportion of the meat they produce. One means bv which New Zealand could overcome the difficulty was by shipping carcases a little less in weight. Both speakers were accorded votes of thanas.