“PRIME CANTERBURY.”

Southland Times, Issue 19278, 24 June 1924, Page 4

“PRIME CANTERBURY.”

The returns for the season’s killing at the three principal meat works in Southland give point to the complaints made some time ago that lambs from Southland, though equal in quality to those exported under the brand “Prime Canterbury” do not command the same prices. It will be noticed that the 1923-24 season in Southland shows an extraordinarily high fallingoff in the number of lambs treated, the decrease being 49,000, and the explanation offered is that large numbers of Southland lamte are sent to the Burnside saleyards, because their translation from that point to “Prime Canterbury” is simplified. It is noticeable that the sheep figures show an increase in comparison with 1922-23, and in the circumstances the reduction in the lamb output can be explained only by shipments to northern works. It has been estimated that fully 80,000 head of Southland stock went north to be killed in order that enhanced prices could be obtained through the use of a brand not actually justified by the facts, though evidently the quality was good enough. Canterbury people have built a reputation for their lamb by the judicious use of publicity, and they are entitled to the good prices they obtain for their products, but their success is a powerful argument in favour of the development of similar advertising in connection with lamb from this province which ia

equal in quality to that exported from the northern works. The movement to en* sure that carcases are branded with the name of the province which produces them is excellent in theory, but it is doubtful if a compulsory regulation could be enforced. Those who send their lambs away so that they may bring higher prices as “Prime Canterbury” would strenuously object to the enforcement of such a rule. There need be no effort to weaken the position now held by Canterbury lamb, but the Meat Board should make special efforts to improve the standing of Southland’s lamb where it can be shown that it equals Canterbury’s prime in quality. Southlanders, too, should miss no chance of asserting the merits of the province’s meat and sticking loyally to Southland works, should urge on the Meat Board the justice and the advantages of convincing the consumers in the Old Land that Southland lamb is second to none in the Dominion, which means that it is equal to the best in the world.