NEW ZEALAND MEAT

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17466, 28 July 1928, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND MEAT

HANDLING AND GRADING. APPRECIATED BY HOME TRADE. Referring to the standard of handling and grading New Zealand meat, the Producers' board in their annual report state:— When the many difficulties, such as delays through bad .weather and other factors are taken into consideration, the Board, in conjunction with, the shipping ■companies, can fairly claim to have arranged a service which has been regular, thereby keeping up a continuity of supplies, which must be of enormous value to our trade. Although the quantity of beef'killed this season, up -to June 30, is more than twice as much as for the previous season to the same date, —the increased kill represents 189,323 quarters—yet the stocks of beef in store in the Dominion at June 30 are 570 C quarters less than at .the same date last year, showing that the Board lias arranged for ample-provision during the season for the shipment of this beef, to the extent of approximately half-a-'nufllon freight carcases over last year's figures. With the increasing quantities of lambs coming forward each season, the Board is fully alive to the necessity of finding an outlet by extending our channels of distribution, as is shosvn by the larger quantities now being shipped to the West of England ports and other destinations.

In the direction of improving the West of England service this season, the Board has arranged with the shipping companies for more vessels to be put on the berth for loading to these ports. The Board also specially arranged that 'many of the additional vessels should load for both London and West Coast ports of the United Kingdom, and this should prove of great advantage to shippers and in the

development of our trade to these West Goasi ports. During the past season the Board's supervising graders have reported most favourably on the standard of gra'ding carried out at the various freezing works, and it is particularly pleasing to note that the work of the supervising graders is now being fully appreciated by the Trade in the United Kingdom. It is satisfactory to find the spirit of co-operation that is extended by the Freezing Companies to the Board's supervising graders when they visit the different works and this is a great help to them and of immense value to our trade as a whole. The cooperation of the freezing companies in this matter shows a united desire to uphold the good name of the Dominion in our meat trade by maintaining a proper and strict standard of grading. The supervising graders also inspect the loading of meat, whilst the unloading in the United Kingdom is also supervised by an officer of the Hoard, and the resuK of their combined work is shown bv the steady improvement that is taking place in the condition of our mat when displayed on Smithfield.