‘Opportunities’ In Japan For Lamb

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 16

‘Opportunities’ In Japan For Lamb

(New Zealand Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, March 9. The Meat Board should undertake an intense lamb promotion campaign in Japan, the general manager of Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Mr P. T. Norman, said in Waitara today.

He was speaking at a chiller beef competition at Borthwick’s Waitara freezing works. Company executives now visiting Japan had reported that scarcity of beef and pork and improved living standards were creating opportunities for lamb which must be taken as quickly as possible, Mr Norman said. His company was 100 per cent behind the Government and the Meat Board on the need to develop alternative markets. Diversification of markets was desirable because a demand for New Zealand products “which we hope will exceed supply” must be created.

Referring to the board’s diversionary marketing proposals Mr Norman said he would like farmers to know he had put forward a four-point scheme which had been supported by many traders. “1 sincerely hope that implementation of the fourpoint plan will obviate the necessity of ever having to operate under an arbitrary diversionary scheme,” he said. Mr Norman said his plan gave four main requirements for the development of any export trade. These were production of the type of goods that buyers wanted, sufficiently frequent and inexpensive transport facilities costed in a way which did not penalise markets exporters were trying to develop, freer access for traders to overseas markets which only Govern-ment-negotiated trade agreements could provide, and attractive sales publicity in

areas selected for diversionary marketing. Mr Norman said Borthwick's believed that overseas buyers wanted lean beef. “But as we must interest buyers in lambs these must be lean and light also. “However, it is obvious that our marketing problems would become less difficult if the rate of increase of lamb production could be slowed down while at the same time production of beef could be stepped up,” Mr Norman said. Action must be taken by the Government and the board to stimulate beef production, he said. “The possible undesirable alternative is that lamb production will be forcibly reduced as a result of falling prices for lamb and sheep meats in an over-supplied market."