CHANGES IN SUPPLY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21868, 2 August 1934, Page 10

CHANGES IN SUPPLY

BRITISH MARKET POSITION EFFECT OF AGREEMENTS RECENT STEPS REVIEWED The changes that have been made in the supply of meat to the United Kingdom, as the result of the Ottawa Conference and subsequent agreements, receive prominence in the annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board lor the year ended Juno 30, 1934. The following table shown British importations during the past threo years: 1931 1932 1933 Tons Tons Tone Mutton and lamb 355.364 816,354 332,722 Frozen beef .. 134,613 128,171 HS.'iOl Chilled beef .. 464,414 439,937 408,635 Pork . . . . 49,035 39,186 50,684 Bacon and hams 598,241 609,609 497,721 Other mest& .. 106,501 99,673 106,574 Total tone .. 1,708,168 1,662,930 1.542.037 Results of Ottawa Tho report states that the agreed policy at Ottawa had tho purpose of raising meat prices to a remunerative level and progressively increasing the Dominions' share of the United Kingdom market. Progressive increases were made in the quantitative restrictions on foreign mutton and lamb and frozen beef, reaching a maximum of 35 per cent for the quarter ended June 30, 1934, and thereafter for tlio period of the Ottawa agreement. In addition, the British Government arranged for a voluntary restriction of 10 per cent on Argentine chilled beef. Subsequently, under the United Kingdom's bacon scheme, the importations of foreign bacon were subject to cuts making a total restriction by November, 1933, of 37 per cent to 40 per cent. The Pig Products Reorganisation Commission recommended that- foreign imports of bacon b 3 progressively restricted to enable the total yearly supply, including the Home supply, to be stabilised at 533,500 tons a year. The terms relating to meat in the trade agreement entered into between the United Kingdom and Argentina in May, 1933, are reviewed in the report, the broad outline being that restrictions would not be increased unless in conjunction with other countries, including the Dominions Regulation Recommendations

The board details the steps leading up to the present discussions and quotes the following recommendations of the Agricultural Marketing Reorganisation Commission, which published its report in March, dealing with the regulation of supplies:— That imports of all classes of meat and livestock, irrespective of origin, should be regulated and that the machinery of regulation should be tightened up. That the Government should lose no time in opening discussion on the supply situation with the Dominions. That the estimate of the volume of home-produced meat, which will be a factor in determining the maximum of imported supplies, should be prepared on the basis of a half-yearly census of all livestock and a quarterly forecast of sales for slaughter. That the total quantities of meat should be so regulated as to ensure stable conditions in the Great Britain market. That, in the application of this policy, special steps should be taken to provide an outlst for home-fed beef in the auttimn, provided, however, that the. normal price incentive to winter feeding is not thereby destroyed. That, as regards pork pigs, imports should be stabilised for periods of, say, two years, and that the board should make plans to minimise fluctuations in the srapply of pork due to short-period changes in home-produced supplies. That it is unnecessary to attempt to regulate releases from cold store. Importations Compared The following comparison of the importations of frozen and chilled beef m quarters into the United Kingdom for the last three years is made: — 15)31 1932 1933 Quarters Quarters Quarters New Zealand .. 150,814 182,143 280,167 Australia .. 788,866 738,781 807,644 South America 5,865,552 5,663,340 5,207,999 Mutton and lamb imports , compare as follows: — 1931 1932 1933 Carcases Carcases Carcases New Zealand 10,275,870 11.339,901 10.982,517 Australia .. 4.749,387 3,655,018 4,362,793 South America 6,513,860 5,997,383 5,322.170 The following table compares pork imports:— 1931 1932 1933 cwt. cwt. cwt. •New Zealand ~ 121,803 131,142 278.082 United States 62,273 32,978 83.322 Argentine -. 81,220 108,854 166,35b Other countries 100,309 68,047 95,369 The report states that New Zealand, along with other pork-producing countries of the Empire, is required to estimate the weight of baconer pigs to arrive in the United Kingdom during stated periods, and these estimates.have to be adhered to.

TONE AT WESTFIELD NO REACTION DEVELOPS There was no reaction at the weekly Westfield fat stock sale yesterday to the proposed meat restrictions. No change was anticipated, values for boner cows and bobby calves having already found their new level. Dairy farmers are still sending their calves to the works in large numbers and on Tuesday there was a line of 30 double-decker trucks all filled to their regulation capacity with bobby calves. A number of these had come from a considerable distance and the opinion was expressed that it would probably have been more profitable to have killed and skinned them on the farm and sent tha hides to the market rather than the live animal. Any change that may occur in tho pig market is not expected for some time. An immediate reaction might be seen in the store pig section, but buyers yesterday were in no way deterred by the market prospects for pigs and prices were unchanged.

AUSTRALIA'S POSITION EXPLANATION PROMISED (Received August 1, 8.55 p.m.) CANBERRA, Aug. 1 In the House of Representatives today the Minister of Commerce, Mr. F. H. Stewart, said ho hoped to make a comprehensive statement on tho moat situation shortly. Replying to a questioner, the Minister said he did not consider it advisable to make available the communications regarding meat that had passed between the Governments of tho Commonwealth and Britain.