WAIKATO’S SUCCESS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20719, 1 February 1939, Page 13

WAIKATO’S SUCCESS

EXPORT LAMB COMPETITION ADVERTISEMENT FOR DISTRICT Waikato fat lamb producers will be gratified that on the Judging In England of the best 15 pens from each district In the North Island the Waikato group was awarded the third place. The competition was for the Meat Board’s Challenge Shield, and, after the full entry at the recent Royal Show In Hamilton had been killed at the Horotiu Works, the best 15 pens were selected by the Supervising Grader of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company and the Meat Board’s Supervising Grader. The Waikato district has not been too successful in this competition in the past and it says a great deal for | the efforts of all concerned that, despite the sheep farming difficulties of last autumn, it was possible to send forward so meritorious an exhibit to London. The 15 pens selected at Horotiu on the hooks were those of J. S. Thomas, F. K. Thomas, A. L. Thomas, A. N. Gibbons, G. Burnett, R. B. S. Ingram, Neil Reid, Wallis Bros., C. W. Gifford, L. Chitty, A. C. Allen, E. P. Griffin (two pens), J. Slater, W. N. Perry. The average weight of the lambs was 33.51 b. It was especially gratifying that the lambs should have come from the Royal Show in Hamilton and Waikato’s success should prove a splendid advertisement for the district. The Individual prize-winner for the best pen In the North Island was Mr J, S. Thomas, of Kereone Road, Morrinsville. The painstaking care *taken at the Horotiu Works In the preparation of the carcases played no small part In the success of the Waikato lambs. The carcases were carefully wrapped in attractively printed bags and the manner in which they were prepared was & great credit to the officials at the works. Objeot of Competition The district fat lamb competition Inaugurated by the New Zealand Meat Board with the object o£ Improving the quality of export lambs has proved to be of great educative value to the farmers, and serves as an excellent medium for advertising the Dominion’s lambs when displaced in the stalls at Smithfleld. The large gatherings of farmers at the freezing works where the lambs are treated prior to being shipped Home, demonstrate the interest which is now being taken in this competition throughout the Dominion. The agricultural and pastoral associations and freezing companies have carried out most useful work in arranging these field days in connection with the competition and generally cooperating with the Meat Board in handling all details. In 1936 the Imperial Economio Committee at Home issued a very important Mutton and Lamb Survey, being a summary of production and trade in the Empire and foreign countries. The following extract, taken from this report, should be of particular interest to every New Zealand sheep farmer. “New Zealand products obtain in the United Kingdom a premium over those of other mutton and lamb exporting countries, due to the fact that her sheep conform closely to the popular English mutton breeds, to the strlot grading, and to the reputation which her mutton and lamb enjoy.” Must Maintain Premium Every endeavour must be made by the farmers of this Dominion to see that this premium is maintained or in-, creased, especially as other countries are gradually improving their quality. Under suoh conditions of increasing competition in respect of quality our relative superiority would tend to disappear unless further efforts are made. New Zealand can ill afford to lose sight of the fact that her reputation has been built and maintained on quality, and it cannot be stressed too much that we must maintain that quality at all costs, and thereby hold our supremacy in the mutton and lamb trade of the world. The more prime quality meat we can ship, the greater will be the permanent asset we shall create in the enhanced reputation of the Dominion's meat.