THE MEAT INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3829, 2 August 1927, Page 13

THE MEAT INDUSTRY.

NEW ZEALAND BOARD’S WORK. A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT. The annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board states, inter alia. It is very pleasing to note in the interim sheep returns at April 30, 1927, that our flocks of sheep are being well maintained. These returns show an increase over the preceding year of 467,381 sheep, and in connection with this it is interesting to note the increase in breeding ewes. The last interim lambing returns show an estimated increase of approximately 438,000 lambs, and it is conceivable that with the general increasing use of phosphatic manures for top-’ dressing our flocks of sheep will Be further increased. In reviewing the past killing season, which is just closing, from the point of view of number of stock killed and the average weight the season may be called a very satisfactory one. The climatic conditions throughout most parts of the Dominion have been very favourable for the fattening of stock, with the result that the average weight of both sheep and lambs showed a marked increase over the preceding season, the respective averages being as follows: —

Last season’s record kill of lambs has been exceeded this season by some 300,000 careases. The amount of beef shipped in quarters this year, is the smallest quantity exported from this Dominion for many years. THE BEEF PROBLEM. In its first annual report, some four years ago, the board drew special attention to the serious condition of the beef industry of this Dominion. At that time the board was able to secure reductions in costs of freezing, railage, and shipping, which temporarily enabled farmers to continue running the necessary herds of cattle to keep their pastures in order for sheep raising. With our decreasing exports of beef it is evident that the raising ot beef is becoming unprofitable. The boaid cannot too strongly emphasise the gravity of the disaster if beef-raising were allowed to lapse into an unprofitable industry, as it would have a very serious eitect on the general prosperity of this Dominion. Should our herds of cattle decrease, it will mean the deterioration or our pastures, and our main primary products, which are thp backbone of the country ami our greatest assets, will be checked in their development. The problem with which the North Island sheep farmer i 8 faced is that, having grown the cattle, he can get no reasonable price for the beef, as ou the London market he comes up against enormous supplies of cheap foreign beef. <j A K;r n i, a c< ? ln P aris °n is made of the Smithfield values realised for our meat ialue?fl S - On and laSt ’ it; is seen that tlle values this season arc not so favourable and there is np doubt that the enormous quantities of chilled South African beef going on to the British market are hav-ng a very marked effect on the values of all mtnion °Ti’ neat sh *PP ed this Dohiimon lhe average values per pound of kouth American chilled ox beef quoted on the Smithfield market during the first five months of this year are as foliows:-

vA e t crencc , to - tno shipments of lulled beef tiom .-ocuth America shows that there i* as ( a conslu iT a °io increase during the last ,e« years. It may also be noted that fho rfhipumm;., of South American beef to Uontmei.t have decreased, and with the Kcing to the Contimmt a gr,_atci quantity o t beef is now beitm shipped to tho United Kingdom ° the trading conditions in Great Britain have not yet recovered from the effects ot last years unfortunate coal strike. ,lowever, it is pleasing to note that the Lank rate m Britain has been reduced. Inch should be pt great help to general tradPrh’in d U> ,e hopcd that ver v ’hortlv Britain will have recovered from the ifiects of this strike.

THE SMITHFIELD MARKET Smithfield for 192.0 “how that the figures tor British home-killed mutton and ldm b represent a solid increase over the prevous year, which is consistent with the atest British stock figures, which show an increase m the stocks of sheep in that country lhe agricultural statistics ssuea by the British Department of Agriculture show that the stocks of sheep i n Britain for the year 1526 represent an increase 27 S® vY 19 r 25 ’ a,,d l - h< 7 now total which, of course, includes .ambs It may be also noted from these figures that, the breeding-ewes have increased since 1923 by 1,500,000. e

With the arrival of our new season’s lamb on the market this year tho stocks of frozen lamb in store in Great Britain were practically depicted, whereas at the corresponding period of the previous sea son considerable quantities of both mutton and lamb were held in store owing to the disarrangement of our trade caused by the shipping strike; so from a statistical point of view the position was quite sound, and there is no doubt that the extremely low prices of chilled beef seem to have dominated all classes of meat and have affected the values o f our mutton and lamb. WOOL AND PELTS. In considering the present lower range of values for frozen meat, the important bearing which the current prices of other products o f the sheep-farming industry have on the farmers' prosperity must not be overlooked. Whilst the prices for pelts and tallow unfortunately show a reduction compared with last year, the prices oh tamed by the sheep-farmer for his wool snow a slight improvement over last year. However, a substantial improvement in

wool values must yet be looked for before the net return to the farmer approaches the pre-war lefvel, especially having ’egard to increased costs of production. The average value per pound in respect of the wool sales held throughout the Dominion for the past season worked out at 12.C6d per pound, as compared with 11.939 d per pound for the previous year—an increase of just on ?d per pound. It is of the utmost importance t o this country that our wool should not lose the good name it enjoys at present for being free from vegetable matter, and the board has decided in this connection to make a grant in connection with research work in the control of bidi-bidi. The board has also under consideration the desirability of undertaking research and educational work on sheep and wool, and other problems relating to our pastoral industry. REGULATION OF SHIPMENTS. One of the most important duties undertaken by the board ever since its formation has been the regulation of supplies to the British market. The board's policy in this direction has been to keep a steady flow r of meat going on to the British markets over the 12 months of the year, the intention being, not to hold back supplies in order to create higher prices (with their consequent slump), but to have a continuity of supplies going forward, thereby keeping up our connection on the British market. In regulating shipments this year the 'board lias exercised the greatest care to ensure sufficient supplies being sent forward to meet the demands of .the trade. This past season a later Easter had some effect on the consumption of meat, but altogether the general consumpion of lamb has been quite satisfactory. It was unfortunate that several vessels carrying our first shipments of early lambs were fogbound on entering the Thames in February, particularly so as they were the new season’s lambs, and the market at this time was fairly bare of supplies. The effect of this hold-up was that large supplies were landed later. SHIPPING FREIGHTS. Last year the board accepted a further shipping-freight contract for three years, from September 1, 1927, to August 31, 1930, the first two years at a reduction of 7J per cent, and the third year at a reduction of 124 per cent.—all based on the rates of the current contract. At the same time the board was able to induce the shipping companies to apply the reduction of 74 per cent, to the current contract, and accordingly this reduction took effect as from August 3, 1926.- The new agreement represents a further saving to _the meat producers of approximately £150,000 per annum, whilst the new freight rates which have been secured represent a saving of £1,117,000 per season on frozen meat, tallow, and pelts when compared with the rates in existence in 1922. THE BRITISH MARKET.

Of the quantity of frozen lamb imported into the United Kingdom during last year New Zealand contributed 57 per cent., and of the quantity of frozen mutton and lamb combined the proportion was 51 per cent.

lhe Homeland's food import trade is vital to the Dominion’s well-being, and we must make every effort to obtain a greater share of England’s food bill bv increasing cur exports, whilst still retaining the premier position our produce holds by reason of its prime quality. As stressed by the board on previous* occasions, top-dressing of pastures with suitable fertilisers is one of the methods by which the fanners of this Dominion can secure very definite results both as to increased productio . and improved quality. It will be remembered that, the Imperial Economic Conference of 1925 recommended that a Marketing Commission should be : it up to administer the annual £1,000,090 grant promised by the Britim Government to assist the marketing of Empire produce. This body was set up last year ..nder the title ’f the ’Empire Marketing Board,” and is at the present time doing an immense amount of advertising throughout Britain on behalf ot Lmpire goods. The board’s London manager, Mr 11. S. Forsyth, has been appointed to this board, and is doing valuable work as one of New Zealand’s representatives. We in New Zealand heartily support the work of this Empire Marketing Board, which is doing much to aid in giving security and stability to linperal industry. POLITICAL ACTION. FARMERS ENDORSE PRINCIPLE. WELLINGTON, July 28. With very few dissenting voices the Farmers’ Conference to-dav adopted the principle of political action. The committee appointed yesterday io report is said to have been unanimous" in the following finding:— b ‘The committee unanimously reports that in its opinion the present political situation is extremely unsatisfactory to the primary producer, and that in order to improve this position it is necessary that some form of political action should be taken. The committee does not think it wise to decide immediately what this form will be, and proposes that it should be guided by circumstances. For this reason it recommends that it should be given power to watch events and report its recommendation to the next conference, which should be called together whenever, in the opinion of the committee, circumstances warrant, in order to allow sufficient time for action to be taken before the election.”

Wethers. Ewes. Lambs. lb. lb. lb. 1925-26 .. .. 54.6 54.1 34.3 1926-27 .. .. 55.9 54.6 34.8

HindJan. Feb. Mar. quarters. quarters. Average ... 5.13d .... 3.50.1 ... 2.6?.d 4.84d 5.16d 4.65d 4.01d 4.55.1 5.64d Apr. May ... 2.50.1 ... 2.4 7d 4.92d 5.75d 5.71d 4.11d