N.Z. LAMB AND MUTTON.

Shannon News, 25 November 1924, Page 1

N.Z. LAMB AND MUTTON.

MANIPULATING THE ENGLISH MARKET. Tlic Smithfield authorities declare that they would welcome inquliry into .the increased prices of meat. They point out that New Zealand hind-quarters of . of beef have increased by 11 per cent,, mutton by 94 per cent., and lamb by 135 per cent. An expert asserts that the New Zealand Producers’ Board is regulating prices in England. The price of lamb and mutton on the- English market—especially New. Zealand, lamb and mutton—is causing quite a disturbance among the importers and retailers of that class of meat. At- a meeting of the National Federation of Meat Traders’ Associations held at Cardiff the other day, it was stated in so many words, “that the New Zealand Meat Board had set up a system of pooling suppliesi which enabled it to so regulate shipments, that not more meat came forward inany one month than the position warranted. The result' of this system was that New Zealand lamb was today 135 per cent, above pre-war price and mutton 94 per cent.” It was claimed by the Meat Traders’ Associations, that most of the New Zealand Lamb was handed on to the" public without any profit whatever. Smithfield Desires Inquiry. A later cable from the Smithfield authorities declares that they would welcome an inquiry into the increased prices of 'meat. The same cable contains an expert’s opinion to the effort' that the New Zealand Meat. Control Board is regulating prices in England. It is doubtful if the Meat Control Board has been paid such a flattering compliment on any previous occasion. It is certainly true that shipping of meat has been regulated, and evidently with very good results. New Zealand meat has not been dumped on the London market in the irresponsible fashion of previous years, much to-the regret of course, of »a host of speculators. To say, how r ever, that the regulating of shipping is the cause and reason of the present high prices of lamb and mutton on the Lonodn market is bordering bn the ridiculous. The Real Position. The real reason is to be found in the good old natural law of supply and demand. The three principal sources of the supply of lamb and mutton for the English market are New Zealand, Australia and South America. Australia in 1922/3 exported 2,636,000 carcases of lamb compared with 1,047,000 in 1923/4, a decrease of 1,589,000 carcases. South America also showed a falling off in the export of lamb from 2,428,000-' carcases to 2,118,000, a decrease of 310,000 carcases, New Zealand was the only country showing ,a slight increase in the export of lamb, amounting to 242,000 carcases. It will be seen from these figures that, taking the three countries, there was a decrease of 1,657,000 carcases in 1923/4 compared with the previous year, while the consumption owing to the millions of visitors to the Empire Exhibition, must have been well ahead of previous years. The Position of Mutton. . The position of mutton, which is said to be 94 per cent, above pre-war prices, is even more striking. The following figures show the falling off in the export of mutton of the various countries in 1923/4 compared with the previous year: Carcases. New Zealand decrease .... 788,00 P Australia decrease ........ 1,577,000 S. America decrease 727,000 Total decrease 3,092,000 There is no need to go any further *to look for a reason, why best New Zealand lamb is selling in England today at 13d. and best wether-mutton at 9d. per lb. Wool Causes Reduced Export. The main cause for such a reduction in the export of lamb and mutton is to be found in the high price of wool. In Australia, the severe drought of last season was of course a contributory factor. Since the sensational rise in wool .however, sheep breeders i are making strenuous efforts to increase their flocks, and this fact-ac-counts of course for the tremendous drop in the export of mutton. New Zealand during last two years has increased her flocks of sheep by approximately 700,000 annually and other countries are no doubt doing the same. As long as this state .of affairs con-' tinues, there will be no need for the New Zealand Meat Control Board to manipulate prices in England for this will be done much more effectively by a far higher authority.