EXPORT OF LAMBS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 934, 2 December 1933, Page 11

EXPORT OF LAMBS.

Figures of Mr D. Jones Questioned. HIS ADDRESS TO FARMERS.

The opinion that some of the figures quoted by Mr David Jones, chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, in relation to lamb exports were somewhat inaccurate, was expressed by an official of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company this morning. When interviewed on the subject of Mr Jones’s address, which was given to farmers at Ashburton yesterday, the official concerned replied as follows: “It is very interesting to read Mr Jones’s address to farmers, who will no doubt be very glad to hear that the prospects are so favourable. We feel, and have felt for a long time, that the work of the Meat Board in England in regard to advertising New Zealand lamb has been extremely valuable and that the Dominion is now reaping the harvest that was sown in the advertising. There is no doubt that the Ottawa restrictions have been valuable from the point of view of New Zealand, but the reductions for 1934 shown by Mr Jones are not cumulative —they are not in addition to the reductions for 1932. The reduction in supplies for the coming season is only one million and the figures might be misleading. Stocks in London. “ Mr Jones suggested that the stocks in London were only about 150,000 carcases, being about 000,000 fewer than twelve months ago. We have made very careful estimates on these figures and are of the opinion that the shortage is not more than 300,000 carcases and that the stocks on December 1 are much in excess of 150,000 carcases. “ The explanation of the difference between our figures and the Meat Board figures may be that Mr Jones has taken New Zealand figures, while we are taking the figures of lambs from all sources. The market price of lamb is influenced by lambs from all sources and not by lambs from New Zealand alone, even though New Zealand lambs are in a somewhat special category. Whatever stocks on December 1 may be, we are satisfied, from a very careful review of shipments, that December and January arrivals in England from all sources will be about 700,000 more than last year for the same period. “ We are glad to see Mr Jones’s advice to farmers in regard to the grading of lambs and we think his remarks on that subject are very sound indeed. Furthermore, we hope the producers of New Zealand will take careful note of Mr Jones’s opinion, with which we are entirely in accord, that it is going to pay to breed all the lambs possible, taking the long View.”