EXPORT OF MEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1922, Page 5

EXPORT OF MEAT.

QUANTITIES SHIPPED ABROAD. IMPROVED SUPERVISION. HIGH QUALITY OF MUTTON. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A statement issued by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board shows that during the eleven months from November to September the quantities of frozen meat shipped from the Dominion were: Beef, 290,118 quarters; mutton, 2,757,446 carcases; Jamb, 4,644,621 carcase*. There were on hand in New Zealand at -September 30 the following quantities:— North 151and.—30,469 quarter* of beef; 112,040 careases of mutton; and 8,283 carcases of lamb.

.South 151and.—3756 quarters of beef; 47,818 carcases of mutton; and 70,318 carcase* of lamb.

This gave a total, in sixty pound freight carcases, including sundries, of 306,530. The killings at all works for the period mentioned, in sixty pound freight carcases, were: North Island, 3.881,307; South Island, 2,113,443; total, 5,994,750.

The board has made arrangements for supervising the grading of meat, and competent supervisor* next season will visit all works periodically. The .supervisors will .also inspect tlie handling of meat during transit on the wharves and during loading operations on the ship*, and will be able to watch the same operations for butter and cheese. New Zealand holds a unique position as regards the quality of her mutton and lamb, which has not been challenged by any other country, although Patagonia is now beginning to export considerable quantities of .saleable lamb, and has also lately been importing Southern rams, and this fact is proved in the shape of carcases now being sold on the Smithfield market. Salesmen who have been long in the trade are all of opinion that we have nothing to fear regarding competition provided we maintain our grade* and *ee that the meat does not come forward under a wrong description. The British market has greatly changed since pre-war days. Whereas before the war the difference between the highest and lowest grades could be reckoned by farthings per lb the market difference now is indicated by pence per lb, so insistent is the preference for choice quality.