MEAT PURCHASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23954, 2 May 1941, Page 6

MEAT PURCHASE

248,000 TONS FOR YEAR CONTRACT WITH BRITAIN SURPLUS STILL PROBLEM [by telegraph—press association! WELLINGTON, Thursday An announcement that a meat contract between the United Kingdom and the New Zealand Governments for the current season had been arranged wan made by the Minister of .Marketing, the Hon. J. G. Barclay, to-day. In this contract the United Kingdom Government lias agreed to purchase '218.000 tons of meat within the production year ending September M 0 1941. This quantity is considerably below the figure of .'500,000 tons contracted for during the first year of the war, but is substantially above the quantity of 180,000 tons which at one stage was the maximum the United Kingdom Government considered could be shipped and purchased during the present year. "This contract secured by New Zealand for 248,000 tons," continued the Minister, "is comparable with Australia's contract figure of 198.000 tons, but in order to make the position quite clear it should be emphasised that these contract quantities as they relate jto both countries are not necessarily identical with the actual quantities of meat which will be shipped to alio end of the present year. "It can be definitely stated, however, that the Australian contract of 198,000 tons represents the same proportional reduction from their previous contract as in the case of New Zealand, and there is no suggestion that Australia will ship a greater proportion of their meat to the United Kingdom than will New Zealand. In regard to both countries, the attitude of the United Kingdom throughout the year has been to lift all the meat that was humanly possible under the circumstances, and at all time an equitable ratio was being maintained." The Minister concluded by saying that the surplus quantity of meat over and above the contract quantity would still present a major problem which this Dominion would have to face. In this respect negotiations were still .continuing with the United Kingdom, and it was also hoped that the development of our canning facilities would greatly assist in utilising various classes of meat which could not be shipped in the usual manner.