PRIME N.Z. LAMB

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 149, 26 June 1931, Page 9

PRIME N.Z. LAMB

HIGH REPUTATION IN BRITAIN. -MAINTAJNING A K El'U'I ATION. “Having in view' the large quantities [of lamb which are now being shipped to the United Kingdom from other parts lof the world and coming into compctiI tion. with ours, it makes it all the more [necessary that we should maintain the [reputation which our lambs have creat ed by their quality, and we should endeavour to see if it would be possible t » still further improve the quality,’’ said the retiring president. Mr W. Perry, of Masterton, at tho annual meeting of the Royal Agricultural bociety of New Zealand yesterday. “New Zealand,’’ continued Mr Perry, “has a high reputation in the United Kingdom as a country produc ing meat of the highest quality, and has built up a trade which is a valuable asset to this country. “During tho last few years, we have steadily increased our output of lamb, and the quality killed for export this season will constitute a further record. Unfortunately, the quality as a whole will not be so good as last year owing to adverse climatic conditions experienced in many districts, pa.ticualrly on the East Coast of the .North Island.’’ Growing Demand for Lamb. It was remarkable, said Air Perry, how the British market was able to absorb the huge quantities of lambs which were now being shipped from the different exporting countries, and it was of interest to note the marked increase which had taken place in the shipments from bouth America, which for tho first three months of this year totalled 2,17.1,972 carcases, as compared with 1,534,270 lambs shipped during the same three months of last year. The shipments of lainb to the United Kingdom from al] sources for the .12 months ended December 31, 1930, amounted to .14,306,041, as compared with 11,603,424 during 1929. and 10,512,600 lambs for the year 1928. A Positive Danger.

“The advisability of allowing thirdgrade lambs to be shipped is a question •which has lately been very prominently before the farming community. In considering this question we must take our lamb trade as a whole, and not as applying to any particular section; and, although it may be said that farmers in some districts may benefit by the additional price paid to them, as compared with store values, yet there is a positive danger that if we allow these poor lambs to go forward it may jeopardise the good name which this Dominion at present enjoys in regard to quality, and may, thereby, bring our whole lamb trade into bad repute. At tho present time New Zealand is paramount over other exporting countries in regard to price, and if our standard is lowered, not only may we lose the present premium which we have over our competitors. Other exporting countries have for years watched the development of this Dominion’s lamb export trade to England, and they are making strenuous efforts to wrest the supremacy from us by (icing everything possible to improve the quality of their lambs exported; we must, therefore, do everything possible to still further improve our quality and thus maintain tho high reputation which we at present hold on the Home market. ” Regulation of Shipments. The Meat Board’s work in the regulation of shipments had been very difficult this season in view of the heavy shipments of lambs from other sources, and with the large quantities which were now going on to the Home markets it made it all the more necessary that tho utmost attention and earc should be given to this job of regulating shipments so that the various ports in the United Kingdom were kept supplied to their full requirements, and that the shipments were as evenly spread as possible. Having in view tho increase!, quantities of lambs exported from the Dominion, tho Meat Board had lately increased its advertising activities in the United Kingdom. In addition, it had appointed a special representative who was continually moving round the

various districts with a view .o extendin gour channels of distribution; also to see that no other meat was being sold as New Zealand. Tn this connection it was of interest to note the prosecutions which the Meat Board had instituted since this inspector was appointed. This further emphasised tho high repute of our lamb on the British market.