EXPORT LAMBS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19199, 16 December 1936, Page 4

EXPORT LAMBS

SOUTH ISLAND KEEN ATTENDANCE AT WORKS POVERTY BAY COMPARISON “Farmers in this district would open their eyes in astonishment if they saw how keenly the pastoralists in South Canterbury interest themselves in the export lamb competitions conducted by the Meat Export Board. They are anxious to pick up every point they can get about how to improve their output for the overseas market, and at the Pareora works last week there were between 500 and 000 farmers present for the judging of the entries from the district round about,” said Dr. W. A. Bowie, well known in connection with his researches into meat export, problems, discussing today his recent visit, to the South Island. Taking advantage of an opportunity to visit the Pareora works on the day the fat lanrbs there were being judged, Dr. Bowie found a gathering almost as impressive as that present on the judge’s day at the Gisborne Show. Hundreds of cars were parked close to tho works, and the breeders, who had .assembled about 10 a.m., were there to make a day of it. Many of the farmers had their sons with them, and encouraged them to take a close interest in what was going on, and a number of speakers who lectured on different subjects connected with the .competition received flattering attention from the large gathering. ATTENDANCE OF BETWEEN 900 AND 1000 After seeing perhaps a dozen farmers at the Kaiti works for the judging of the competition class in this district, Dr. Bowie was amazed to note how the whole district about the Pareora works seemed to have turned out for a field day. He was further astonished when told that the gathering was smaller than usual owing to extra work on the farms having held many men at home; and that at Smithfield’ North Canterbury, the attendances ranged from year to year between 900 and 1000. During the morning, Dr. Bowie slated, the lambs were judged on the hoof, and a demonstration of picking was given by tho head picker for the works, who lectured on the points of quality looked for in the best type of fat lamb. A luncheon was served by a large group of farmers’ wives and daughters from nearby homesteads, assisted by members of the works staff, and during this interval lectures were given by competent experts, one of whom was a recent arrival from the Old Country whose specialty was wool. This* speaker was able to give the farmers, also, a review of the requirements of the Smithfield market. The killing of the lambs proceeded during this interval, and later the farmers were gathered on the cooling floor of the works, where the killed meat was displayed with the results of the judging- attached. Incidental opportunities were given for farmers to visit all parts of the works, and so familiarise themselves with the processes of killing and the production of byproducts from their stock. QUALITY OF THE LAMBS

Regarding the quality of the lambs killed at Pareora, Dr. Bowie formed the conclusion that it did not reach the average of quality in the Poverty Bay lamb floeks. On the basis of general suitability' for the Home market, the prize-winners at Pareora were probably' on a par with the best Poverty Bay lambs, but the general average was not as high as this distriet could boast. The reason probably lay' in the multiplicity of breeds and crosses, Corriedale halfbreds and crossbreds figuring largely, with the evidence of crossing with Southdown rams.

The winners of the competition at Pareora were English Leicester-Soutb-down crosses, and were equal to the best in Poverty Bay, Dr. Bowie considered. In all, 172 pens were judged, this number being smaller than usual, owing to the recent reduction in the maximum weight to 801 b., in order to meet the requirements of the export market. The majority of the entries showed excessive fat, and in shape the carcases were not up to Poverty Bay standards. PRESENTATION OF CUP

The field day was wound up by the presentation of the district challenge cup, amidst warm applause, said Dr. Bowie, and when the gathering finallydispersed, it was with the feeling that the time given to the competition had not been wasted. Dr. Bowie considered that similar gatherings in this district would do much to improve the individual farmer’s knowledge of the market requirements, and how to achieve the highest standard, a goal which should not be a difficult one to reach in view of the general excellence of the floeks of Poverty Bay to-day.