More Meat From Australia

Northern Advocate, 19 April 1947, Page 7

More Meat From Australia

(Rec. 11 a.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. The Government plans to increase meat exports to Britain by at least 10,000 tons by the end of June. The Minister for Commerce and Agriculture (Mr Polland), in announcing this, said that as much of the meat as possible would be available for shipment by mid-May so that it would arrive in the United Kingdom not later than the end of June.

Decision on this special effort had followed a series of meetings between the Australian Meat Board and all sections of the industry. The board had arranged for livestock submitted under the scheme to be treated on a weight-and-grade basis.

This meant that producers would be paid on this basis, and would not have to send their stock to auction.

A spokesman for the British Ministry of Transport said it would be impracticable at this stage to provide all the shipping space needed by mid-May. All the tonnage now in, or about to reach, Australian and New Zealand waters had been allocated for foodstuff cargoes.

At present 250,000 cubic feet of space on British vessels in Australia, which had been reserved for other purposes, could be made available next month.

Ships for meat or dairy produce could be provided at any time, but at least a month’s notice would have to be given. The food for Britain organisation in Sydney announced details of a drive to persuade farmers in New South Wales to give 5000 sheep to Britain in the next six weeks.