LAMBS FOR EXPORT

Waipa Post, Volume 46, Issue 3309, 30 March 1933, Page 5

LAMBS FOR EXPORT

DISTRICT COMPETITION EARNS COMMENT FROM SMITHFIELD.

A HIGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR N.Z. PRODUCE.

A very important and popular competition was inaugurated last year by the New Zealand Mfeat Producers Board among the various districts of the North and South Islands respectively, with a view to still further improving the quality of the Dominion's lambs, and also educating farmers as to the requirements of the Home trade. A perpetual challenge shield is awarded by the board for the best district display of lambs from the North Island, also one for the South Island. This year the North Island shield was won by the Wairarapa district with the Hawke's Bay district runners-up.

In addition, the board donates special prizes of £ls, £lO and"£s for the best individual lots of lambs shipped from the North ilsland, and similar prizes for the best individual lots of lambs snipped from the South Island. Thlis year in the North Island the three pnize-winriing pens were as follows:—Wairarapa, pen No. 6,1; South Hawke's Bay, pen No.. Bw, 2; Manawatu, pen No. 31, 3. Hawke's Bay pen No. 103, was placed as a close runner-up for 3rd place. A very important phase of the competition is the organisation of a "field" day at the freezing works on the day on which the lambs are killed; this enables farmers to see the carcases after they are killed in order to compare the quality. The entries for the, North Island, competition arrived" in' London about the end of January,' ' and special arragements were made for judging and display on Smithfield market. This proved an enormous attraction and created a very : fine advertisement forNew Zealand on the Smithfield market. The Board's London manager received congratulations from all sections of the trade and jt was conceded on all sides that this exjhjbit of lambs was one of the finest that had ever been seen on Smithfield.

In a letter which came to hand by last London mail, the board's London manager reports as follows:

" Messrs W. Weddel and Company very kindly aga'in agreed to. make the display on their large stall on the Central Avenue, Smithfield, which, while being probably the largest stall on the market is* also in an exceptionally favourable position for publicity purposes. Three judges were appointed by the Imported Meat Trade Association Incorporated, all of whom are well known on the mar-, ket, and are large users of New Zealand lamb. No doubt the ' field days ' organised b(y the various A. & P. Associations in New Zealand accounted for' the generally higher quality of the exhibits this year, as only the very best pens were sent to represent the district exhibit, as should be the case. The fact that each district exhibit contained an even 45 lambs each, was "also a distinct improvement on last year, as it is exceedingly difficult to compare districts of varying quantities. As you will see from the photographs going forward per this mail, we prepared suitable notice boards, district cards and other advertising material, and altogether a very attractive. display was put up. Invitations to view the exhibit were sent to the trade press and representatives of the meat trade, who attended in large numbers. Sir Thomas Wilford, K.C.M.G., K.C., also visited the display. It was conceded on all sides thalt this was one of the finest exhibits of lambs ever seen on Smithfield, and it certainly created enormous interest among the trade generally and buyers on the market. The three prize winners were set as a '. head-piece' to the display and were greatly admired by a constant stream of visitors." During the course of a very detailed report, the judges stated that taking all the districts as a whole they considered they formed of finest collections of lambs that had ever been '.seen on the . Smithfield market, and in commenting on the district exhibit which was placed first, they made the following comment, which is worthy of quotation, as indicating the requirements of the Home trade:— i "An extraordinarily even run ot I very choice lambs. Remarkably consistent in size, with a complete absence of anything approaching wastefulness. We consider the lambs forming this exhibit to be absolutely ideal from the butchers' point of view, and we cannot conceive of anything more suitable." ~„_••* vu The report on other district exhibits contained such flattering comments as the following:— " Beautiful lambs of excellent make and shape, and very even in . size. Genuinely first-class butchers' meat. " First-class lambs t>f "beautiful quality," and so on; Likewise, in placing the champion pens, they referred to the lambs -which formed the three prize-winning -pens in the following terms: — "We are of the opinion that these were perfect lambs and it is scarcely conceivable that anything more suitable could possibly, be. produced for the London trade. These three pens created an enormous interest." m The three carcases in the champion pen were reported upon as: . "Ideal in size, of perfect quality and texture, and the make and shape left absolutely nothing to be desired. At the Meat Board's special request the London judges went to a great deal of trouble to furnish separate reports in respect of each district's exhibit. These are being passed on to the districts and should prove very helpful for the *fnf*ni*G The entries for the South Island' district competition are at present on their way Home and the result ot the competition for this island is being eagerly awaited by the competing districts.