MEAT FOR AMERICA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18590, 28 December 1934, Page 9

MEAT FOR AMERICA

NEW ZEALAND’S CHANCE

EFFECTS OF DROUGHT

BOARD CHAIRMAN’S HOPES

LONDON, Nov. 8. There is a very good chance of Ne\y Zealand being) able to supply the United States market with meat in the near future, according to Mr. David Jones, chairman' of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, who has beep investigating the effects of drought iff America. At present there was an abundant supply of neat of low quality owing to forced killings. This woulcf i keep the price from rising for some time, but in January or February tliei'd would be a prospect of New Zealand doing some business with the United States. “The very high tariff is a difficult barrier, but President Roosevelt has taken authority to make treaties with other countries, and there may be a possibility of New Zealand making some reciprocal arrangement which would be satisfactory to both countries,” he said. “The amount of meat] New Zealand could send to the United, States would be very small, compared) with the amount which is sold there, and should not affect the price mater-' ially. “New Zealand is in the best possible position to supply the United States because of our freedom from foot and mouth disease. Moreover, there are veterinary regulations against both the Argentine and Australia The Dominion, therefore, is the one outside country which can augment the supplies. The M«a,t' Board is watching the position with the closest interest, and I understand the New Zealand Government has already been in touch with the United States Government on the matter.’’

The drought concerns the whole of North America, said Mr. Jones. There was no wheat for fattening cattle and' pigs, while the maize crop was only fiO - per cent, of the average yield of the past five years. The condition of stock iri many 'States was deplorable. The Government had come to the aid of, fanners by purchasing 5,000,000 sheep, /mainly old ewes, the worst of which were killed cm farms, and the remainder canned for distribution among the unemployed in winter. “The Government has arranged to buy and slaughter 6,000,000 head of cattle in the same way, and that may run to much greater figures as time goes on,” he continued. “The Agricultural Department is' quite frank aboqt the matter, and announces that* meat will be dearer in the course of the , next three or four months, and prices will probably he affected for four or five years.”