Meat schedule thought confusing

Press, 4 February 1986, Page 22

Meat schedule thought confusing

PA Wellington Fanners are more confused than ever with the meat companies’ takeover of marketing, says the fanning newspaper “Straight Furrow.” Clear market signals had been blurred in the latest changes in the meat schedule, with a drop in some of the heavyweight prices in favour of mediumweight, the newspaper reported.

The real reason companies had made the changes was to reduce the likelihood of lambs becoming overfat and to avoid an oversupply of heavyweights later in the season, and to increase the current throughput which was 50 per cent down on the lamb kill at this time last year, it said.

The operations manager, for Waitaki N. Z. Refrigerating, Ltd, Mr Max Williams, had defended the schedule which was lower than that offered by the Meat Board last year. He said that far from being pessimistic it might to

be over-optimistic.

But the Federated Farmers’ meat and wool section chairman, Mr Bruce Anderson, said it was only realistic to the extent that companies had made sure their profit margins were secure.

Farmers were also disappointed that there was no competition between the companies for stock. Only a few premiums were being offered in certain areas, and companies were reluctant to admit it was happening.

A meat and wool section executive member, Mr Stan Phillips, of Auckland, said the companies had been cunning in setting the schedule, and seemed to have gone out of their way to make sheepfarming not pay.

"The companies are not being true private enterprise,” he said.

“There are a few big z companies dominating the system so it is virtually a cartel.”