BRITISH MEAT SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19142, 7 October 1925, Page 14

BRITISH MEAT SUPPLY.

COMMITTEE'S PROPOSALS. USE OF DISTINCTIVE LABELS. FURTHER RESEARCH WORK. [from oca own correspondent.] LONDON. Aug. 20. In the second report of the Imperial Economic Committee, issued to-day, the subject of- meat is exclusively dealt with. Measures for making use of the vast possibilities which exist for increasing the consumption of Empire meat in the Home Country *are suggested. How extensive is the field is indicated by the statement that last year, of all meat imports, reckoned in terms of cost, only about 30 per cent, were from the Dominions and colonies, the figures being £27,227,000 worth of supplies from the Empire and £78,220,000 from foreign countries To transform this adverse Empire balance by stimulating production in the Dominions and demand among Home consumers the committee makes a number of important recommendations, the most salient of which is that: Distinction should henceforth be required in the labels denoting "Empire" imported and "foreign" imported supplies. At present the law requires no differentiation. The full report is one of the most exhaustive statements regarding the meat industry that has hitherto been published, and the sub-committee, which included Mr. R. S. Forsyth, representative of the New Zealand Meat Producers" Board, have shown they have a remarkable grasp of their subject. The report points out that the increase in population of the United Kingdom in the last ten years has not been accompanied by. a corresponding increase in the flocks and herds. There has been a small diminution in the quantity of meat both Home produced and imported, consumed per head since the period 190913, the estimated annual consumption having fallen from 138.61b. to 136.81b A Growing Deficiency. Whereas, however, less mutton and lamb are now eaten, there is an increased consumption per head of beef, Veal, pork and bacon. To meet the growing deficiency in Home supplies, increasing quantities of meat are imported into the United Kingdom from various parts of the globe. Whereas in the period 1909-13 on an annual average Empire countries had 26.7 per cent, of the imports into the United Kingdom, that percentage had fallen by last year to 20.9. Some 56 per cent, of the beef and veal, 59 per cent, of the mutton and lamb, and 66 per cent of the pig meat consumed in the United Kingdom are at present imported. Last year the value of Empire beef and veal imported was £3,001,000, and the value of corresponding foreign imports was £29,797,000. In addition to the figures quoted, animals for feed valued at £22,015,000 were imported from the Dominions, as against £35,000 worth from abroad. On the basis of values—not weight—the Empire's, share of the total of imported meat—alive and dead—was 38.63, leaving 61.37 obtained from foreign countries. In the case of mutton and lamb, Dominion imports predominate. It would appear, says the report, that there is room for a large measure of substitution of Empire meat for foreign meat, but any such change must depend on the power of the overseas parts of the Empire to produce continuous supplies of meat of the right quality and price. The Recommendations. The recommendations of the committee may be summarised as follow :~ Imported meat exposed for retail sal*' must bear labels distinguishing between " Empire imported " and " foreign imported " supplies; small portions of meat cannot be effectively marked, but the retailer can identify their source and should be held responsible for passing on r.ha identification to* the consumers; Dominion Governments should encourage their producers, in conjunction with the shipping companies, to make a fresh study of the problem of quicker transportation to enable them to overcome the handicap of their greater distance from the* United Kingdom market as compared with foreign competitors; Government aid in transport ing pedigree breeding stock from this country to the Dominions in order to improve the breeds should be given without delay: the existing legislation with reference to the importation of live cattle into the United Kingdom should be reconsidered. No restrictions, other than disease-pre-venting ones, should be placed on thft entrance of store cattle.; and differentiation in restrictive legislation between one Dominion and another, as at present, is especially undesirable; users of cold storage should try to obtain more favourable) terms by contracting for a given space over a given time; Dominion Governments should continue to urge their producers to study the needs of the United Kingdom market and to maintain and develop their present efforts to conform to those needs. Statement by Government, The Government has issued a statement to the effect that it will take the report of the Imperial Economic Committee on meat most carefully into consideration, together with the general report of the committee, but it feels bound to state at once that it cannot see its wav to adont the recommendation that the existing legislation regulating the import of live cattle into the United Kingdom should be considered. To-day agricultural interests are as definitely opposed to any extension of the existing system as they were in 1923, continues the statement, and it is not possible to hold out any hope that the present Parliament would be ready to take the action required to alter the status quo with regr.rd to the importation of live stock from the Dominion.