MEAT INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 24285, 28 August 1942, Page 6

MEAT INDUSTRY

IN STRONG POSITION SMALL CARRY-OVER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 27. I can congratulate the meat industry on the strong position it is in to-day compared with 18 months ago,” said the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Barclay, addressing the Electoral Committee of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board to-day. “ Unless something unforeseen happens in the next month or two we shall be practically clear of export produce when the new season’s meat comes on the market,” he said. “ Though information from the United Kingdom Government suggests that we cannot expect the run in the coming season that we have had this year, we shall be all right for storage. We have space for practically a full year’s production in our cool stores.”

It was possible now, the Minister said, to make a fairly close estimate of the export killings and shipments for the meat year, which would end on September 30. The killings for export were estimated at 268,439 tons, and the killings for canning totalled 61,891 tons. The total kill, therefore, was 330,330 tons, compared with 330,000 estimated at the beginning of the year. Tho stock position showed an estimated carry-over of meat for export of 44,812 tons at September 30, 1942. “ This must be considered a very healthy position,” said tho Minister. “Tn fact, having regard to future liftings and requirements, our stocks are rather bare, and some difficulty may be experienced in supplying meat cargoes during tbo next two or throe months. Australia, because of a drought and increased local consumption, has not been in a position to export meat, and this has been an unexpected benefit to our industry and has put it in a very happy position.” It was hoped by the end of September, Mr Barclay said, to get away 300,000 tons to tho United Kingdom and 1,529 tons to other destinations. an amount never dreamed of at this lime last year. The estimated carry-over of 44,312 tons was only a little more than half what it was last year. It was estimated that 21,500 tons of the carry-over would bo required for the forces in New Zealand and the Pacific area, leaving only 23,313 tons available for the United Kingdom before, the new season’s meat came on the market. The Minister announced that it was estimated that the moat pool formed last year would show a surplus of £439,952, not including 11,000 tons of ewe mutton which it was hoped to get away and which would swctl the surplus further. It had been suggested that during the past year the Meat Board had not been so closely associated with tho department as it should be. The Minister said that, if that were so it was because both the Marketing Department and the Department of Agriculture wore under-staffed. To meet the position in the corning year it had been decided to appoint a committee for consultation on policy matters. The personnel would be the general manager of the Meat Board (Mr J. Fraser), the primary industries ■ controller (Mr A. H. Cockayne), und the Director of Export Marketing (Mr G. A. Duncan). If they were not available their deputies could act.