EATING OF MEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22000, 5 January 1935, Page 12

EATING OF MEAT

INCREASE IN BRITAIN NEW ZEALAND'S PRODUCTION [from our own correspondent] LONDON. Dec. 15 Mr. David Jones, chairman of the New Zealand Moat Producers' Board, accompanied the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr, on his visit to Bristol, and was one of the speakers at the dinner given by the Lord Mayor of Bristol. He made an important statement in connection with the con- ' sumption of meat in this country, and issued a warning regarding restrictions on/the imports of mutton and lamb. Mr, Jones was replying to the toast of "New Zealand Trade," proposed by Mr. C. H. Hoddor, president of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. He spoke of the development of New Zealand in the past 80 years. Now, he said, they were discussing the question whether they had produced too much. He instanced the actions of America, where farmers had been paid to curtail their production, and how Nature had taken a hand in the form of drought, and stricken the country with scarcity. Australia, Mr. Jfones said, has had the greatest series of productive years in the white marfs memory. If there should come a change and exports of mutton and lamb were seriously curtailed, there would bo a shortage of muttofo and lamb in this country. One heard a great deal of talk about the reduction of the quantity of meat eaten in Great Britain, of "the smaller joints .that were required. He had been going into tho official figuros, and he found that the average amount of meat eaten by the English people in 1910 to 1914 was 129.61b. per hoad. It had been gradually increasing, until in 1932 it was 144.51b. per head. There was an increase of nearly Hi per cent on the whole population of the United Kingdom. That figured out to an increase of 278,150 tons over tho quantity that was eaten in 1914. It was all moonshine to say that less meat was eaten. Not so much beef was eaten, but more mutton, lamb and bacon was consumed. Great Britain to-day could not alford to take less mutton and lamb than she could take under tlio provisions of tho Ottawa agreement, said Mr. Jones. Australia during tho first six months of 1934 had filled the gap caused by restrictions upon Argentina, and of the 9,000,000 jambs from New Zealand last season there were practically none left in stock in this country. Great Britain needed to bo careful in dealing with this matter of tho reduction of imports. Sheep were subject to a cyclo of nine years. If the owes of a. flock were seriously curtailed, the effect of that reduction would bo felt for that number of years. That was a fact which should be considered with exceedingly great care when discussing the subject of restrictions. Mr. Jones added that they had tho difficulty of tho Argentine agreement, which provided that if Argentine chilled beef wero reduced below 90 per cent, then Great Britain had to reduco the mutton and lamb from the Dominions by a similar percontago. Jt might, be that if the mutton and lamb from the Dominions wore reduced, the price would be beyond what people could pay in this country.