N.Z. meat price rumours denied

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 6

N.Z. meat price rumours denied

NZPA Sydney Rumours that New Zealand lamb imports are forcing down Australian meat prices are baseless, says the chairman of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation, Mr Geoff Jones. In the seven months to April this year, only two tonnes of lamb and 32 tonnes of boneless mutton were officially listed as having entered Australia from New Zealand, he said. “The rumours are baseless. Livestock producers should not believe all they hear in the saleyard,” Mr Jones said. “Since the corporation began regular unofficial checks in April with import authorities in each state, a 56kg sample lamb package

has been delivered in Victoria and about 234 tonnes of mutton trimmings for processing have come through Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. “These miniscule amounts could hardly bear down lamb prices in Australia.” Mr Jones said that although Australian lamb prices had fallen from the peaks recorded a month ago, producers should be aware prices were still above 1983 opening levels. He said, for example, the estimated dressed weight price for 16kg to 19kg lambs sold at Newmarket, Melbourne, in January was 102 c a kilogram. The mid-June price was 142 c a kilogram.