MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3881, 31 July 1928, Page 21

MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD.

REPORT ON YEAR’S WORK. The sixth annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board states: — Ever since its inception the policy of the board has been to keep a steady flow of meat going forward to the United Kingdom over the 12 months of the year, the ..intention being not to hold back stocks in order to create higher prices (with their consequent slump), but to have a continuity of supplies going forward, and thus keep up our connection on the British market. The advantage of keeping up a continuity of supplies has already been referred to in the report of the Imperial Economic Committee, in which it pointed out regularity and continuity of supply are most important factors in the attainment of success on the British market. The authoritj’ exercised by the board over shipments is probably the most valuable work it has undertaken, and members of the board are impressed with the in> mense gain this has been to the farming communoity of this Dominion. The board’s London manager is in close touch with the market at Home and makes full use of the cables in keeping the board"thoroughly posted as to the market conditions and prospects in the United Kingdom. Coupled with these advices the board receives regular reports from its representatives in other meat-producing countries, and thus'uses every means available to guide it to a sound judgment in this most important work. With each succeding year, bringing with it new and varying trade conditions, the board is more than ever confirmed in its conviction that there must always be some central authority entrusted with the necessary powers to undertake this important duty and thus prevent our produce being shipped in a haphazard manner,, which can only result in violent fluctuations in prices instead of the stability whiefris in the" interests of all concerned.

Having in view the fact that we were, likely to have a larger output of lambs this season, also the bare state of the Home market, and the prospects of shorter supplies from Australia owing to drought, the board decided to ship larger quantities of lambs earlier in the season, so as to fill this gap and aceor/lingly made provision with the shipping companies for additional tonnage. The judgment of the board in this matter has turned out to be correct, for to-day, although our killings of lamb this season are largely in excess of any previous year, yet we have less lambs in store in New Zealand to ship than we had at this time last year, and there are less lambs in store in Great Britain. The board’s action in this matter has shown that the market has been able to absorb an increased quantity of New Zealand , meat this year, as will be seen by the returns of the London Central Meat Market, which show an increase of 1552 tons of New Zealand mutton and lamb for the first four months of 1928, as compared with the same period last year.

During the past season the board’s supervising graders have reported most favourably on the’ standard of grading carried out at the various freezing works throughout the Dominion, and it is particularly pleasing to note that the work of the supervising graders is now being fully appreciated by the trade in the United Kingdom. The cold storage rates in Great Britain are a big item in the costs which the producers of this Dominion have to bear in the marketing of meat. For some considerable time the board made repeated representations in this matter to the owners of the cold stores in London, but without satisfactory’ resjilts, and eventually the board decided to purchase a site on the Thames, adjacent to Smithfield, with -a view to building its own store. Since the purchase of this site, negotiations have been entered into between the London cold store owners and the board, which have finally resulted in total reeductions over the fates of 1925 of 10 per cent, off the first month and 20 per cent, off the second and subsequent months.

It is estimated that these reductions over the rates operating in 1925 will represent a saving to this Dominion of approximately £50,000 per annum. Under the arrangements made by the board with the London cold store owners, the board undertakes not to erect, or operate directly or indirectly, cold stores in Great Britain during a period of three years.

The London .office is constantly watching for any- cases where inferior meat is being wrongfully retailed as New Zealand, and on various occasions it has investigated cases which have come under its notice.

Tl \ e Em P* r s Marketing Board, on which the board’s London manager, Mr R. fj. rorsyth, is the sole representative for New Zealand, is doing good work in creating public sentiment amongst the masses people to purchase Empire-grown foodstuffs, by newspaper and hoarding advertisements, lectures, and the distribution of posters to schools through Great Britain, etcetera—also by its efforts to induce all Government institutions and pub“C bodies to buy Empire-grown foodstuffs. The Empire Marketing Board's activities in giving special advertisements for New Zealand meat arc of invaluable help to our frozen meat trade, and its assistance in other directions, by way of making grants for experiments in the eradication of blackberry, investigations regarding top-dressing of pastures, and its grant to the Riant and Breeding Station Massey Agricultural College, shows the spirit actuating its desire for closer trade within the Empire and to make the British Empire self-supporting in essential commodities.

During the year it gave members of the board very great pleasure to meet and discuss various matters of mutual interest with the Right Hon. L. S. Amery, Secre* tary of State for the Dominions, and also Sir Benjamin Morgan, chairman of the British Empire Producers’ Organisation, while on their visits to the Dominion. It is particularly gratifying to note the interest which these leaders in Empire affairs are taking in the work of the board. .