MEAT INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1933, Page 5

MEAT INDUSTRY

REDUCED IMPORTS

THE DEPARTMENT’S INTENTIONS

(Per British Official Wileless.)

RUGBY, December 20

The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Elliott), in a long statement on the live stock situation, made in the Commons, said that notwithstanding the efforts made since November, 1932, to hold and improve the situation of the wholesale meat market, the ‘returns from the feeding of caitle continued to !be unsatisfactory. In thes e , circumstances, it was essential to afford some relief in- respect of- supplies imported for immediate slaughter. Accordingly, it was intended to issue an order, limiting the import of fat cattle from the Irish Free State to 50 per cent, for the three months ended March 31, as compared with the corresponding period last year. As regarded Canada, the Dominion Government had agreed to co-operate by stabilising the export of cattle, both fat and store, to this market for the first quarter of the coming year, at he figure of the first quarter of last year. Arrangements were being made to limit the imports in the next quarter, ot foreign canned beef, or reduce imports from foreign countries of chilled beef by the same extent as in the first quarter of last year, .Ajs arranged at Ottawa, imports of .frozen beef from foreign countries would be reduced ’in the next quarter by 30 per cent; Negotiations for readjusting the proportion of. imported bone and boneless from foreign countries were under consideration.

The situation of the bacon market was under consideration, and, if necessary, a reduction of imports form foreign countries by a further 7 per cent, on March 1, and an addition'll 3 per cent, on June 1, would be effected.