Lamb Campaign In Japan Urged

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 24

Lamb Campaign In Japan Urged

(N Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 4. The Meat Board should undertake a lamb promotion campaign in Japan. the general manager of Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Mr P. T. Norman) said yesterday.

Executives of his company who were visiting Japan had reported that the scarcity of beef and pork, plus rising living standards, were creating opportunities for lamb which should be seized as quickly as possible. The company’s sales manager had reported from Tokyo that the present situation for expanding lamb trade with Japan “could not be more favourable,” Mr Norman said. A large Japanese meat importer had told him Japan could handle all New Zea-

land’s suitable mutton production for manufactured meat products such as sausages, and that lamb should take the place of mutton in the growing retail trade.

At present it was estimated that 15 per cent of the mutton sent to Japan was being sold through retail outlets. The traditional objections to mutton had disappeared. The interest of Japanese importers in New Zealand lamb was illustrated by their own promotional efforts. Reports to him said one Japanese company had introduced a college to train young Japanese in the art of butchering meat, and the emphasis was on lamb.

The Meat Board was cooperating with the meat trade to provide lamb carcases for training butchers. But the board should also at this stage taper off its successful mutton promotion, and step up lamb promotion.