The Big Price Margin Between Light and Medium Lambs

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18025, 28 February 1933, Page 8

The Big Price Margin Between Light and Medium Lambs

THE big margin between the buying 1 rates for lightweight and mediumweight lambs has aroused the curiosity of sheepfarmers throughout tho Dominion. On last week’s Gisborne schedule, lambs of under 361 b. were being bought at 4J per lb., while those of 371 b. to 421 b. were worth only 3Jd per lb. It has been suggested in the south that kidney fat should be removed from 371 b. lambs to bring them into the lightweight or highest priced grade, the same as was done with the 431 b. carcases to bring them into tho medium grade.

At a meeting of the North Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union, the president, Mr. C. Mclntosh, submitted the following: “Why is there a greater difference in the scheduled price of our fat lambs under 361 b. and 371 b. and over than is quoted on Smithfield? Also, why should kidneys not be removed from 371 b. lamb and so reduce it to 361 b?

“The margin between these tw.o grades—twos and eights—on Smithfield is usually 3d. per lb, but it varies up and down according to the proportion of each arriving. It sometimes happens that eights are quoted higher than twos, as was the case in February of last year. The reason for this was that owing to an abnormally dry season and a shortage of feed farmers rushed their lambs into the works as soon as they would kill, wdth the result that there was an over-supply of twos and a shortage of heavy weights. “Our local schedule immediately followed and for a time all weights were quoted at the same pritje., This season exactly the opposite has taken place, There was an abundance ,of feed and lambs did exceptionally well and farmers, remembering the good price that was going for heavies last year, thought to receive the same this year by making the lambs heavier. The result has been a shortage of light-weights or twos and an oversupply of eights and heavies. The local buyers know this quite well and are apprehensive that there will be a greater margin between the different grades when the consignments reach Smithfield, which is usually some months after tho lambs leavo tho farms.

“In regard to removing the kidneys from 371 b. lambs, it will be remembered that some years ago the Meat Board insisted that the kidneys must be loft in all lambs under 421 b, and this has proved of great benefit to the farmer. To take the kidneys out of a 371 b. lamb as suggested, without taking them out of all lambs over that weight, would, I think, be looked on as sharp practice and we w.ould immediately come into conflict with the purchaser at tho other end. “It is, however, the recognised practice at most works to remove tho kidneys from 431 b. lambs so as to put them in the eight grade, but I think it ■Would bo quite wrong to make a practice of this with the light lambs. ”