Good Meat Sales To Japan Predicted

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 16

Good Meat Sales To Japan Predicted

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 15. Bright prospects for New Zealand meat sales in Japan were predicted today by the deputy-chairman of the Meat Board, Mr L. A. P. Sherriff.

He told the quarterly meeting of the Trade Promotion Council that Japan was already consuming 1.1 million tons of meat and poultry a year. By 1970 the amount was expected to reach 1.5 million tons, rising to 2.5 million tons by 1975.

“Although the Japanese will probably continue to be self-sufficient in poultry and pig meats, for other meat they are already producing to the limit of their capacity,” said Mr Sherriff. “As their consumption rises, so must their Imports, and New Zealand should be in a good position to supply their needs.” ' Boned Shoulders He told the council chairman, the Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Marshall), there was a growing demand in Japan for boned and rolled shoulders of New Zealand lamb and a steadily rising demand for New Zealand mutton.

Mr Marshall said New Zealand should have an extra five million lambs next season, and Mr Sherriff assured him there should be “little problem in marketing them at worth-while prices.” During today's council

meeting, the general manager: of the Dairy Board (Mr A. H. Ward) said New Zealand could expect a “major upsurge” in exports of dairy produce to Japan if efforts to produce a type of cheese which particularly appealed to Japanese palates proved successful. As a result of earlier promotional efforts, more and more Japanese were becoming aware of the value of milk products as a source of projtein, said Mr Ward, and they were interested in cheese as a food.

Discussing the “considerable diversification in direction and composition” of this country’s dairy exports in re-

cent years, Mr Ward said there had been a substantial build-up in sales to markets outside Britain. This resulted largely from increased trade in Asian and American markets and in particular to South Africa. He estimated that in the 1965-66 season, sales to markets outside Britain would total £29.4 million —an increase of £8.4 million on last year and more than double the average sale in the three preceding years. In Asia, the market of particular consequence had been Japan, where New Zealand dairy product sales last year were valued about £3.5 milllion.