MEAT TRADE

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19765, 21 December 1935, Page 14

MEAT TRADE

DOMINION’S PROSPECTS. V QUALITY THE CHIEF FACTOR. MR FORSYTH’S ADDRESS. The necessity for keeping up the Quality of New Zealand mutton and lamb to enable the Dominion to maintain the proud position she holds on the English market was emphasised by Mr Robert S. Forsyth, C.M.G., London manager of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, in an address which he delivered to a gathering of about 500 farmers at Timaru. Discussing future prospects for the Industry, Mr Forsyth said that the, outlook was good. The purchasing power of the people of Great Britain ■was going to be greater than for some years, and that was the factor which affected the consumption and price of pur meat. Dominating Position. Canterbury farmers would be particularly interested in the meat trade, Eld Mr Forsyth, because New Zeand held the dominating position in Inutton and lamb. A total of 9,000,000 carcases of lambs and more than 2,000,000 carcases of mutton Were exported to England from New Zealand in the last export season, and that quantity was more than 54 per «ent of the total imports to Great Britain. “We stand head and shoulders above any other country in the quality of our meat,” he said. In addition to that, New Zealand lamb realised Id to lid per lb more than that of • any other country exporting to England. This meant a premium of more than £750,000 a year to New Zealand and nothing should be done to Jeopardise that premium. The Dominion’s competitors must not be underrated, but he was sure New Zealand had the benefit of good pastures and climate, which enabled it to produoe and maintain the best standard of meat. An indication of the growth of the trade and the competition which existed could be gathered from the fact that In 1914, 5,500,000 carcases of meat were imported into Great Britain from all quarters. The total had grown to 17,500,000 in the last export season. In. spite of that large increase and extra competition the quality and good prioes of New Zealand produce .were maintained. “ When I left London New Zealand lamb was selling at 8d per lb., equal to the .best paddock lambs in England,” said Mr Forsyth, “and don’t forget that price was for frozen meat against fresh I meat.” In April there were more than 3,000,000 carcases of meat in store, and he felt worried about the coming season. However,- he was pleased to say that there were fewer than 50,000 left at' the end of November and‘they were now almost down to bare boards. Good Prospeots. Mr Forsyth took an optimistio view of the prospects for the coming season. It was an infallible rule that if the prioe was raised a smaller quantity would be sold. Australian imports had inofteased considerably over the last few years, but the price was id per lb. less than for New Zealand meat. “ I hope farmers will realise the benefit of the Ottawa agreement," said the speaker. “At that conference we reduced the supplies of foreign mutton, and lamb imported to England by 3,000,000 carcases and if that had not been done we would not have received within Id to iAd per lb. of the prices ruling during the last two or three years. The small joint was preferred. He thought the Meat Board was entitled to some small credit for popularising New Zealand lamb. No doubt the limited issue of meat during the Great War was greatly responsible for breaking down the prejudice against New Zealand frozen lamb. Referring to the marketing system of the Meat Board, Mr Forsyth said it had been successful in introducing ■ New Zealand meat into every hamlet and village throughout England. He had made a point of getting behind the retailers because a great deal of money could be wasted in advertising. It was' the women they had to appeal to, and the butcher’s shop was the best medium of advertising. As the result of the campaign, more than 20,000 butchers’ shops out of 40,000 in the-United Kingdom were stocking New Zealand meat. The retail trade was very appreciative of the assistance given to it by the board, and the goodwill of the meVi behind the counters was the best thing they could cultivate. In addition to that, 3,500,000 booklets of eduoatlve literature had been distributed in one year. In that way a great effort had been made to break down the prejudice against eating frozen meat.