MEAT EXPORT TRADE

Chronicle (Levin), 27 July 1946, Page 4

MEAT EXPORT TRADE

Talk To Federated Farmers EXTENSIONS RECOMMENDED . "That this hieetihg recohim'ehds to the Minister of Marketing, ih conjunction with the New Zea.iand Meat Producers' Board, ttie following: That the new extensiohs of'the export meat schedule, as pubiish'ed during March this year, should become a permanent arrangement. We view with concerh the expression of the opinion by some of the board's executive that this class of meat is detrimental to New Zealand's export trade. We have direct evidence from the British retail butcher that he does not live by trading in one class of meat: he requires the largest range of qualities, grades and prices possible, hieats and edible offals, particularly chopping meats, for example, rams, boars, sows, bulls, cuts of pieces of all classes of meat, all preferably on the bone. Also the light lean lamb is highly appreciated. We also recommend that the quick freezing process be introdueed 'compared with present methods for marketing overseas our cut meats, plain and light lambs, which promises to confine our export lamb grade to one only — 'the advertising good lookers.' " This resolution was passed by a meeting of the Levin branch of Federated Farmers on Thursday evening after a large niimber of members had heard an address on the New Zealand Meat export trade, from the point of view of the British butcher, by Mr. S. S. Timbs, of Wanganui. The meeting was also attended by members of the Shannon and Foxton branches of Federated Farmers. The president of the Levin branch, Mr. C. E. C. Webb, introducing Mr. Timbs, said that' he" was well qualified to speak on the meat export trade, having had experience as a retail butcher in England. He had been closely connected with the meat export trade for many years. Mr. Timbs explained that he wa? going to speak as a British butcher. He impressed upon the meeting that the meat retail trade in New Zealand was entirely different from that in Britain. When he had assisted to form the Meat Producers' Board, he had advocated an organisation in England to take care of the sale of New Zealand meat there, just as in New Zealand stock agents looked after the interests of farmers while their stock was going through all phases of its preparation for the market. There should be a complete surve'y from the paddock to the butcher in England. However, for reasons put forward by the cdntbolliilg body in this coUntry, the pl'an Was dropped. To operate the pihn, it was essential that the board be controlled by the Eederated Farmers. Some time ago lariibs were being sent to England with the kidneys, fiesh and fat taken out. He had arranged to send 2500 lambs to England With the kidneys and fat left in, and they had ifiade ld per ib. more on the market there than did the others. In 1923 it was decided that in lambs under 42 lbs. che kidneys were to be left ih. Although this ttiove had been opposed, since it was brought into operation in 1924 £11,000,000 extra had been paid for lambs. There was a great deal of confusion about the British trade, the speaker went on, and it was likely that before long there would be great changes. The improvenlent in business in Britain b'etween 1931 and 1938 had been tremendous. The purchasing power and assets of the people had gone up three times. There were thousands of new housing estates with two or three butcher shops. in each. In. these shops the meat displayed was: in tWo sections,' imported and home. There was no cuttihg up done at all in the new shops, ahd no big pieces of meat were shown. The days of the display of whole carcases hacl gone. There was not one in a thousand lambs sent to England hung up in a shop as a carcase. To the British butcher grade and quality Were poles apart. Quality meant only one thing to the liousewife* and that was eating quality. He had seen the trade go through all its phaseSj but he had hever seen a single lamb go through as first quality — eatiiig quality — but in several grades. The lambs raised in New Zealand were the best in the world, and the 'British buteher.s knew the thousands of pounds spent by the Meat Board in advertising New Zealand lamb in England were just wasted: the lamb advertised itsel'f. To the English butchefs grade hiarks meant no thing; it Was the' quality that mattered. The hogget grade wac instituted as the standard grade for muttoh by the Standards Institute for the NeW Zealand internal market, and under the Price Tribunal that judgment Was cohfirmed by assessihg hogget at one penny per lb. over the first grade wether mutton. The New Zealand system of grading was not a standard of quality, he Continued. Supervisors in New Zealand were unaware of the conditions in England, where the only quality was that on the table. It should be realised that the meat export trade Was a women's trade; there were not more thah 3 per cent. of men biiying meat in England to-day. The average woman ih Ehgland hated to see waste, ahd mahy young people would not eat fat. They Were the people that cbhtrolled the trade. QUality did hot mean size or condition. Those who said that it was were ighbrant of the British trade. South America sent lambs to England With ari average

weight of 14 to 18 lbs. All rejects in South America were cut up, wrapped in pieces* packed and sent to England. In New Zealand rejects w.ent down the chute. Wlxy did not the New "Zealand works cUt up all rejects and send them to England too? All sound meat could go, and it would sell well in England. Mr. Timbs quoted from a price list of meats in England to show that prices for such meat were well above New Zealand retail prices. The same prices were obtained for pork pieces. Mr. Timbs produced photographs showing two . lambs of 36 lbs. weight, one of which had had a portion of fat torh off the loin, and the other was unblemished. The one with the fat torn off was classed as a reject, although the carcase Was sound, and realised f oi4 its owner a total of 15s. The other 'lamb had brought 27s 9d. The meat was indentical in bloom, finish and eating quality. Mr. Timbs weiit on to expiain that there were two distinCt ways of selling meat ih England — rationed and manufactured meats. Our ewes were going on to the market as manufactured meat at 4£d lb. If the fat on these ewes was trimmed so tha,t their weight was . 721b., .they jarobld : be "sold- as rationed meat 'at/a/be.ttfer. pj|ce. At the begihnmg &^/'the /^ar; ;he /had Communicated wi'th"" Lord Woolton, the British Minister of Food, suggesting that a proportion of cheap cuts be included in the export to Britain during the war. Lord Woolton had approved of the scheme, but the political implications were such that a Minister of the Crown in England could make no suggestion to a Dominion which was likely to affect the economy of the Dominion. Therefore, it was not done, and as a result thousands of pounds of NeW Zealand meat went down the chute, tliat could have gone to England. There was much offal that could have gone, some of which people in Britain regarded as a great liixury. Mr. Timbs also referred to the method of quick freezing. He t explained how it operated, saying ' that the process was virtiially instantaneous. It was suitable for cut meats, but not for large car-» cases. It opened a new' field in small goods. Meat was sbld in cellophane wrappers and so on, this being made possible by the quick freezing. Many by-products, which were iieglected how, would become saleable if this method was adopted. The meeting closed with the passihg of the resolution and * a vote of tlianks to Mr. Timbs.