NO APPREHENSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20028, 29 August 1939, Page 6

NO APPREHENSION

LAMB EXPORT TO BRITAIN EFFECTS OF QUOTA LIMIT REDUCTION OF AGED EWES MARKETING ADJUSTMENT (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. No apprehension is felt in official quarters regarding the ability of the United Kingdom being able to absorb the increasing lamb shipments from the Dominion, but complete readjustment in marketing arrangements is thought to be necessary, because the old-ewe .is rapidly coming into the unwanted class. This view was expressed by the Director-General of Agriculture, Mr. A. I-I. Cockayne, in his annual report to his department which was laid on the table of the House of Representatives to-day.

“The most serious position which has arisen with regard to export mutton and lamb is that during the past season the United Kingdom has imposed a quantitative restriction which is less than our export killing and is less than a breeding-ewe population of 20,000,000 is likely to produce in a favourable year,” Mr. Cockayne stated.

“At present New Zealand’s quota is fixed in the vicinity of 190,000 tons, and with 'our present ewe flocks a normal export kill would represent about 10,000.000 lambs, 1,000,000 wethers, and over 1,000,000 aged ewes, which is in excess of 190,000 tons.

Britain’s Sheep Flocks

“The sheep population of (the United Kingdom is passing through a cycle of expansion, and in Great Britain it is felt that a sheep- population of 27,000,000 should be aimed at and, if po'sdi’ofe. mtainltained. If. this is achieved ’it id i^o-nisiidferfed 1 that the combined 1 tonnage of Home-killed' and imported mutton and lamb will be too 'great to maintain remunerative prices' for the Home-killed supplies; accordingly the present British policy is to restrict importations, and at the same time subsidise the British output through price insurance. This, endeavour to foster British production .must necessitate, for a period at least, some alteration in our marketing.

“So far as export lamb is concerned there is no need' for any apprehension (that increasing quantities cannot be satisfactorily marketed within- the quota limits, but a very serious position has arisen, and will continue to exist in the export of aged'-ewe mutton. This class of meat is the least wanted- in Great Britain, and some method must be arrived at whereby this class of mutton is reduced to make full room for expanding lamb exports.

“At the same time ft will be essential to adopt some formula of equalisation -based on total killings in order that the reduction in aged-ewe exports does not bring about an unreasonably low price for breedingewes, one of the major sources of income for sheep-breeders.

‘Apart from any question of restriction in exports, and this is viewed as temporary rather than permanent, the fact that old-ewe mutton in Great Britain is rapidly coming ;n‘o the unwanted -class necessitates a complete readjustment in our marketing. Much has beer, said in. recent times about the necessity of further improving the quality of our export lamb. It is agreed that every effort should b-> made in this direction, but a visit to England rather dispels the idea that our competitors are in any way threatening our .supremacy in quality.”