FAT LAMB PRICES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20184, 12 March 1931, Page 11

FAT LAMB PRICES.

TO THE EDITOE OT TBH ' I Siri—lp a recent issue of Thb PBKfja refereufie was made to the prices asked over 'the counter m r " a !London-store for New Zealand-grown'lamb, viz., shoulders Is 3Jd, loins ls 5d 5 legs Is fid, all per lb—and'tbistwas on January 15th, 1931. - .Sir, I think this is a matter that demands a serious move on ; behalf of the producers of fat.lamb in tips country; "the discrepancy between .the price w;e have received for this season's primeat '■ quality lamb, viz. (4Jd per lb average),, and that paid,over the counter by,our patrons' in the Homeland,- is wholly be-., ; yond reason, and grossly unfair. What can we, as growers, dof What,can the ' freezing companies in New Zealand, do, to bridge this ' ever-widening' divqrg- > ,ence in market values! -We are-very cognisant of the fact that .the freezingcompanies are not participants in this > inequitable distribution Mkf ..proftts, • a,s I am led to understand-ihat.in the first 1 .consignments 7 overseas of this : season's - lambs, ' when the farnfer with early, lambs ' received ,6d per -lb, several of, • the freezing, concerns sustained substantial'losses. Hence the reduction to .the present absurd price, 43d-per lb. ■ When ■- we reflect that'Ndw Zealand, is i the world's greatest supplier 1 of 1 lamb , and mutton to.the United' Kingdom—in 192& we supplied a greater number of i carcases to the Homeland than fhe.combined efforts of Australia and SouthAmerica; whenwe remindiou'rselves'that for, the- season 1930 we supplied the * Kingdom with over' six million lambs .and •,nearly two million-greases of mutton,then? 1 assert, Sir, despite the rapidly improving, position of the fat lamb development trade ,in South America, and its favoured geographical' . position, that.wp have a right to demand'that we;get the full market-value for our product. How is it then, that I we are compelled to 'acc'ept. such' a'- low price in New, 2eal&nct' for our article; while -relatively'in the Homeland, the .pricesover the counter.is so- high? . In truth, we have appointed a Meat Boal-d in New . Zealand to represent the ■producer —with its high-salaried.officers ■ rabroa'd 1 and here. Has it justified its existence, and "does- the present' state .of-affairs in the. njeatf world, or its continuance f -.TJio ■ Meat" Board has effected' a saving /on' rates -of shipmenW-tlie 'cost : of -' shipping aViamb to England' being now ; abbut - 1.932 d, per ■ >lb/ less -ISper

ing to a saving of £50,000 to the New Zealand farmer, for this season.. Itmust be given credit for successful advertising and'prominent displays of-our New Zealand product. It fias secured several ■ successfulactions against fraudulent butchers in the Homeland. But apart from these, its chief functions have no doubt been the regulating of shipments and establishment of cool stores in England. . , . Save these things a bearing on tho -resultant prices as paid the New Zealand farmer to-day? If we had no Meat Board, would we be getting more or less than 4fd per lb to-day f Prom what I have learnt and read, I am satisfied that our frozen meat and lamb marketing; conditions overseas require ;• a careful survey and .oyerhaul, so : that-this discrepancy in consid-, " erably lessened. Is there* no way in which the operations of wholesale * buyers and vendors of our frozen mutton • in* the United Kingdom can be curtailed in favour of the actual grower of the, article? Is.it not a fact that the Home- > land's meat supply is controlled by some 30 - wholesale buyers? Perhaps some ' one conversant with the actual : operations of Our Meat Board in England will enlighten üb.on,this one point, viz., why is it that an article worth 4Jd to the producer at this. end, carried 12,000 miles Overseas, is there retailed at Is 6d per lb-—and that' in ever-increasing demand? > ; • •In reference vtO: the weights of. lambß, this also admits of -a. questionnaire. Is .> the hard and fast division, of ,361b in the .best interests of the-New Zealand ,pro- ; ducer to-day? I am certainly in accord with a grading system, which makes for efficiency and improvements in the standard of our product overseas, but are the so rigidly imposed at this ,end, 'so immobile in the TJaited Kingdom? In the light of present-day prices, is the producer not payiiig too heavily for such exacting grading? • 'The whole position- of our marketing conditions in Great Britain • calls for immediate investigation, so - that the present deplorable position of our fat lami trade might be rectified. The price of fat lambs directly. affects the price of store lambs; the, price of store lambs - has a direct bearing upon the price of breeding ewes; ,- the price , of' breeding vewes determines to : a, very large, degree the value .of our land. 1 need not stress the point'further, as, lam afraid-1 have, already:trespassed' upon your, valuable' space!— Yours, etc., GEORGE SIMON MACKENZIE. St. Andrew's College, • March 10th, •1981, . " * ■