FAT LAMB TRADE THREATENED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 4

FAT LAMB TRADE THREATENED

Other Countries Strivwg to Capture N.Z. Market BREEDER'S C0NCERN - 1,1 1 ( The supremacy heid by New Zea land in the fat lamb trade which is \ the envy of all competing countries : on the British market was in danger j of being out-rivalled and in order to maintain their premier position farrncrs throughout the Dominion would havp to bestir themselves, stated Mr. J. E. Hewitt, of Mangamaire, ,t.ho wc.ilknown brcedcr, in the course o.f an ; .interview, This was a warniog that iarmers could iH aiford to ignore, Gnce the present pride oi place was lost, Mr, Hewitt was o| the bpinion that a j colossal .depreciation in iand values in « New Zealand would inevitahly fofiow ! and so strike a serious blow against : the farming industry. As an alterna- ^ tive, he considered that New Zealand had to strive to remain on top, "Countries competing with us are fully alive to the demandg of the Bri- j tish consumer," said Mr. Hewitt. "The j quality whieh commands a premiuin bn j the Hnglish market is their goaj and i we must not inake. any mistake about it. Our competfptors have issued a ] challeuge and with their Governments j fully behind them, they are rapidly he^ ] comipg serious rivals. • The idea that j there K is a fimit to the best quality i thgt they can produce is a mistake j and should be dispelied. Our fat larnh i trade is Ihe l.ife blood of New Zealand s as far as farming is concerned and that is really what keeps this Dominion going, "We have got to try to remember ! that the ebject of all our preeding i is ultimately the plate, and ffiow it eats' is the all important point, Too , much stress cannot be laid upon this and the sooner farmers realise this th© better. Even among our New Zealand meat, buyers at Home are differ- ; entiatiug and ' are passing over carcases that frequently look the best for those I with the best fiavour. 'How it eats* 1 is what they are concerned with and 1 onr methods of raising must be such that tliey have little room in whiph , to find fault. ■ ^ "It ia rather unfortunate/' contin- j ued Mr. Hewitt, "that many of our ' farmers will start on 'the top-storey mstead of at the foundation. We

have become too selr-satisfaed and tnere is a danger of a superiority coraplex. ' Others are fighting to get on top and in order that we can stay where we are we have also got to keep on im- ■ proving. : "Ihe Argentine has heen rewarded j as being a beef coqntry only, but now i she is turning her attention to sheep. : Atecently an .expert from -Fngland went : there te advise on ihe question of rais- j xng fat lambs which shows that the . farmers tbxe propos.e working on \ right lines, In New South Wales and ; ^ ictoria they are working overtjinp in ; trying to improve their quality and they- are making a great success of it. "Jiecently .1 travelled through New South Wales and I was amazed at tho millions of acres that are available that would be quite suitable for fatlamb farming. There fiie Gpverupieni' hes tahen -Up the questipn of tea$jng farming ag it shouid bp taught, Young larmerf af.p beipg taught how tp puji their ewes, having always in view tne quality of the lamb. i was very impressed with what is being done in thgt directipnL #pd 1 ajn satisfied thaf we have ^ iot to learn from it, The Government there^ which :is bchipd the tarmer, has seen fit to .set pp a most - usef ul service which does not co.st tlm farmer nnything but which will play n grqat part in the raisii^ of the stanpnrd of quality. "fn the pa.st sufficient attention has not been given to the ewe. We seein tp have lost SJght of thp fact that thp hetter the .ewp the nparer we get tp the perfect lamb. The quality pf thp owe must ha np to a standard i,n ordpr to rgisp g good fat lamb, The Southdown rain canspt be expected to 4p jt all, "Tfie importance of having th,e ??ght quajity of bone is not realised as wideiy m it-shpuld be. The bone is in fact the foundation on which to build a sound structure. If we learn to study the quality of bone and get it right wo will find that in fhe majority of cases that ihe meat and wool will look aifer themselves, "Our supremacy in the fat lamb trade is something that we have to guard most jealously. Onco we lose it, |t will take .a ipf of winnjng haek, oesides costing a great deal of money. Oncp we lpsp thp market that demands the premium, down will go the price, and our land will depreciate in value as a consequence. 1 would not be surprised if our land values fell by £100,000,000 which would be staggering to this Dominion. We have no alternative but to remain on top, and this will entail .a constpnt striving aftei quality."