MEAT INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1930, Page 8

MEAT INDUSTRY

INCREASING COMPETITION

REVIEW BY CHAIRMAN OF

board,

WELLINGTON, August 28

. Important aspects of the meat industry of-New. Zealand were reviewed by Mr D. Jones, M.P., chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, in an address at the annual meeting to-day,

Sheep returns, he said, shpwed a steady increase, an interim return on April 30 showing 30,637,360, constituting a record for the.. Dominion. The latest lambing returns showed the actual number of lambs .tailed last season ,ae 14,823,357. During the season the board exercised.the usual care in regulating shipments. When it was considered that the Dominion’s, output of lainlh and . mutton, apart from beef, pork and sundries, amounted to approximately 9,500,000 carcases, all, loading at . different- points,.in ..the Dominion for dispatch for various ports in the United Kingdom, some idea could be, gained' of the . work .and• responsibility entailed in'shipment. The-expanding lamb production , of ,South .- America was noteworthy. In : 1914 that country exported 837,000 lambs,to the United Kingdom, whilst, ,this-, year her. shipment . for March alone. amounted to 866,000. Having- before them ~ the ► fact jthat. New • Zealand was steadily- increasing her, output of lamb, they,i must keep pace by endeavourijig to create a still greater .demand to ensure that the increasing supplies - were, absorbed. In this .connection it,- was interesting to note the steadily increasing advertising activities. The, outlay under thif> .heading, for . twelve.' -months amouiited to £13,049. ; The., way in : which the British,market, wos able, to -absorb all lambs being shipped? -there.'. wonderful. It showed .the -increasing popularity of lamb, particularly when it was'noted that in 1913 approximately, 5,500,000 .lambs were, .'shipped to the United Kingdom from all sources, 'whilst, last year’s figures amounted to 11,714,290. f‘lt lias been the. board’s policy ever since its- inception to j d<J everything possible- to- reduce costs,; particularly recognising that- meat had come into competition with> the, increasing supplies from foreign countries,- who werc more favourably placed than New Zealand.

-‘The' present, low values, obtained bj farmers, show that-' the .position runs' be watched so that, if; this iow-leve, of values it will also be reflected in the various costs incurred by farmers, not only in producing fat stock, but in the various cost; intervening before the product reache, its ultimate destination.’’’

! The board. had now accepted • a new contract at a reduction of a furi-bei per cent, which brought the new rates down to -15 per cent off th( rates obtained in the 1924-25 season. The period of contract was three years. The per cent reduction re. presented a further saving to the meat producers of the Dominion of approximately £50,000 per annum. ■ Mr- Jones stressed the importance of building up substantial reserves, pointing out that the weakness of most farmers’ organisation was thathere were -no funds in reserve. The board’p reserves •: were invaluable, particularly now, when they were obliged -to increase advertising, etc. Mr Jones reviewed in details the steps taken in the United Kingdom to advertise.

The announcement of the passing of the Tariff Bill by the United States Senate - was of great importance to the farmers of this ; The new tariff would practically ' nullify the board’s efforts to develop that market as an outlet for meat. Maize production in'the United States of America was the main factor governing the supply of pork and cured bacon, and hams shipped from the United States to Great Britain, and it might be assumed from the cable messages which recently appeared in the Press that the recent drought experienced ~iu .the corn belt ip "the States would have, a serious effect on exports of pork, bacon apd hams fropi the States. It was pleasing to. note that New Zealand exports of pork were being maintained, although this year’s shipments did not come up to last year’s. There was.no doubt that the outlet for-New ‘Zealand pork was gradually widening. It was. becoming favourably established at Smithfield, due in some measure to the board’s special advertising efforts in the trade papers.