BEEF EXPORT TRADE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1933, Page 8

BEEF EXPORT TRADE

POSITION OUTLINED BY MINISTER. MEAT HELD IN STORE. Napier, Sept. 23. A few days ago the Hawke’s Bay Sheepowners’ Union telegraphed the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. C. E. Macmil-. lan) asking him to describe the exact position of exporters of beef from the Dominion. Yesterday the Minister replied that the acting chairman of the Meat Board advised the temporary suspension of quarters till the end of November, except for beef already sold for shipment and a limited quantity sold on farmers’ accounts.

The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. C. E. Macmillan) wired in reply: “Present position regarding beef shipments to United Kingdom is as explained in a statement by acting chairman Meat Board at meeting on August 31, that shipments in beef quarters have been temporarily suspended until the end of November, with exception beef already sold for shipment and limited quantity stored here on farmers’ account.”

By the next mail the Minister wrote an amplifying letter, quoting a statement made by the acting chairman of the Meat Board, which the Minister said fully set out the position. “Owing to the serious position of prices of Home-killed beef,” the statement began, “and having regard to August to December being the peak marketing period for Home-killed beef, it was decided, at the request of the British authorities, who are seriously perturbed at the price position, to stop shipping beef in quarters from New Zealand until the end of November. “When this matter was under discussion in London, stocks of frozen beef from all sources in store in the United Kingdom showed a large increase over the quantities held at the same date last year. The London representatives of the larger exporters all agreed, in view of the position of the market there, that it was useless bringing stocks forward to go into the store. The Meat Board has now arranged with the owners to voluntarily stop shipping beef in quarters until the end of November. Provision has been made for beef already sold, and which must go forward, and also for a limited supply of beef held in freezing works on account of farmers who may want to ship and face the market notwithstanding the low prices, but the total shipments coming under these headings is but a very small quantity. The spread shipment of the carry-over will be gone into by the Meat Board later on.”

The Minister added that the Meat Board was now in communication with the owners of beef in quarters in store in New Zealand with regard to its shipment.