FAT LAMB TRADE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 291, 21 November 1936, Page 6

FAT LAMB TRADE

i AUSTRALIA’S EXPORTS. How long will we be allowed to go on increasing our fat-lamb export to Great Britain? Last year we exceeded the 1934 figures by 600.000 earcases, and we are told that, for the present, all we can send will find a market; but there must be a limit, and when we reach it what will happen? asks a writer in the Australasian. The reason for Australia’s increased export of lamb carcases to Smithfield is not hard to find. Several years of low wool prices were responsible for hundreds of growers utilising their holdings for the production of something that offered reasonable chances of profit. Values at Smithfield for lamb carcases during the past few years have proved highly satisfactory to the majority of fat lamb producers, and that con-

sumers have appreciated the quality of the lambs forwarded is evident from the numbers that have been sold in that market. Returns show that from (July to Decern beer, 1935, over 3,100,000 lamb carcases from Australia were absorbed in the markets of Great Britain. The position confronting present-day and intending producers is not one of whether prices will hold, but rather one of the possibilities of restrictions being applied by Britaim

In comparison with boef, values for Lamb abroad are at a bfcgli parity, and lower though they may be for Australian as against New Zealand lamb, there is ample evidence that they have been satisfactory to the majority of those producers who of recent years have transferred their- activities from wheat or wool growing ind gone wholeheartedly into the business of producing lambs. It is doubtful if greatest optimist of a decade ago could have forseen Australia s export numbers reaching anything approaching three million carcases. ’ The question is if wisdom will be disi played in carrying on production i without some degree of restraint I being applied. Every market has its | natural limits, but apart from that, I political minds in England bent on j fostering home production, are anI tagonistic towards unrestricted imI portations from the Dominions. How i far and for how long will our inI creasing export of fat iambs be toli erated? if we are racing towards I the peak It is certain that pressure j will be brought to bear at Home, and i restrictions may come into force with short warning. Better to keep our exports within reasonable limit by common assent than be ultimately cheeked by compulsion. The day will come when values at Home will fall, and, in order to pre- ! pare for such, fat-lamb producers should incline to the doctrine that carcases and wool go hand-in-hand; then, if lamb values slump, there is always the chance of wool returns from dual-purpose sheep coming to i the rescue. Too many far-removed crosses have entered into the fatiamb producing industry; and wjtn pelt values for such almost negligible 1 high quality carcases are necessary to compensate. There is nothing to pre- ! vent producers cultivating types in i which wool will be neglected for car- I case, and vice versa. If. however I in view of possible restrictions and j lower values for lamb carcases, the fat-lamb industry is to remain solvent when the pinch comes, it is imperative for wool to be a greater consideration than it is at present. Mixed types of breeders must be culled out, and better pelt value striven for without carcase quality j being impaired. Those who do concentrate on cultivating dual-purpose sheep know, full well the benefits so derived. A “breed better lamb’’ campaign is needed.