N.Z. MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3671, 22 July 1924, Page 12

N.Z. MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD.

The concluding portion of the second annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board indicates a nice perspective on the part of the producers’ representatives—viz., “to obtain the highest net prices for the producer and to establish a standard of quality that will put our meat in a class by itself.’’ Necessarily a large part of the board’s work has therefore been devoted to securing reductions in charges between meat producers in New Zealand and consumers in Great Britain or elsewhere. It will be generally admitted that their efforts have met with a fair measure of success. In fact, without being generous in our remarks, the board appears to have taken the tide at the flood and regulated shipments according to the demand, and thus tended to stabilise prices. Shipments of meat to West of England ports have been increased, thanks to the co-operation of the shipping companies, which (owing to the board’s efforts) reduced shipping freights for the 1923-4 season by £164,000. This, following upon the substantial reduction obtained for the 1922-23 season is highly satisfactory. The reductions in freight rates secured in April and September of 1922 on tallow and pelts have represented a saving of approximately £90,000 per season. Reductions in the rates on frozen meat and other produce shipped to Vancouver and San Francisco were also obtained in 1922. The board has recently endeavoured to secure further concessions in regard to trans-Paciflc freight rates, but so. far the shipping company cannot hold out any hope of a reduction oil present rates until the quantity of refrigerated cargo carried by this service shows an appreciable increase. The board, naturally enough, is not adverse to credit all the improvements in respect to the meat trade and its ramifications to its efforts. And why not? The board enjoys a good income—about £30,000 per annum, —of which it spent several thousands of pounds for the 12 months ending June, 1924, plus honoraria and travelling expenses, and no doubt “shook things up’’ to good effect. The reductions in costs secured since the board came into operation are presented in the following statement: —

Freight: Frozen Meat Tallow, Pelts, and Hides (approximately) Insurance: Reduction 10s per cent Charges jn London based on 6 weeks’ storage Kidney 1 at in Lambs Freezing Companies in many instances have reduced their freezing charges to the extent of approximately ,33d per lb Railway Tariff reductions on frozen meat based on works say 50 miles from Port (approximately) Above reductions represent (per animal)

We are pleased to learn that successful efforts to ensure tile quality of our meat exported Home has been made, and that nothing is allowed in respect to mutton and lamb to leave our shores until it is graded and classed. Varied qualities there will be; but so long as buyers can buy the particular grade required for their trade it is anticipated that the meat industry will flourish. The supervision of the .loading and unloading of frozen meat has had the attention of the board’s officers -with resulting good effects. The vexed question of multiplicity of marks, which seemed inherent to the industry, has, as a result of various conferences with those interested, been greatly minimised. Parcels of mutton or lamb must

under no circumstances be less than 250 carcases. The grade marks, we are informed, have been standardised with the approval of the trade generally. The power which the Meat Producers’ Board wields has enabled it to secure reductions in dairy produce freights for the 1923-24 season to the extent of £151,730, made up as follows : —Butter, a reduction of 6d per box, representing a saving per season of £67,160, and on cheese a reduction representing a saving for the season of £94,570. The fact that some £4OOO was spent in connection with the British Empire Exhibition will no doubt be generally approved, more particularly when the exhibit is declared to do- justice to one of the Dominion’s staple products. In entering upon its third year of office, it is permissible to hope that the board will tighten up the links which hold together the interests of producers and consumers, and continue to hammer away and eliminate undue costs, while stressing the importance of producers continuing to market the “best lamb in the world.” Weare not, however, satisfied that the grade marks aue of a nature which indicates the wide variety of New Zealand lambs. It would seem feasible to grade North Island and South Island lambs “on their own.” The grade marks or terms used might be similar, but should “Prime Cv’torbury” quality be found in any and all of the New Zealand provinces, then those lambs should be so graded and sold as such to Home buyers. It would be interesting to see a list of the various grade marks, and the opportunity offered to producers to judge whether Home buyers have ample opportunities of fulfilling their requirements without being confined more or elss to old channels of supply. If, say, similar quality lambs are obtainable either in the North or South it should be uossible to ship them from their home port, and thus avoid not infrequently costly railages, wtiich are not in the interests of producers.

601b 35lb 7201b 901b Sheep. Lamb. Bullock. Pig. s. d. 6. d. s. d. s. d. 2 8.4 1 2.6 24 6.4 4 11.8 i 0 2.5 0 1.5 1 0 — 0 2.4 0 2 1 4.2 0 3.6 s 0 2.9 0 1.7 2 10.7 0 4.3 — 0 10 — — s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. ! 3 4.2 2 5.8 29 9.3 5 7.7 ’ 1 7.8 0 11.5 19 9.6 2 5.7 s. d. s. d. s. d. 6. cl. 5 0 3 5.3 49 6.9 8 1.4 0 2.2 0 1.8 2 6.5 0 3.3 e. d. s. d. 0. d. s. d. 5 2 3 7 52 0 8 5