LAMB & MUTTON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1939, Page 8

LAMB & MUTTON

REGULATION OF EXPORTS TO BRITAIN

POSSIBILITY OF RESTRICTIONS.

OBSERVATIONS BY MR HUGH MORRISON.

“Australia ana New Zealand have been asked to regulate exports of lamb and mutton to Great Britain at the beginning of 1939. An announcement to this effect was made in December by the British Minister of Agriculture and the negotiations now being proceeded with are of vital importance to sheepfarmers, so I am taking this opportunity of giving a few of the reasons leading up to this important decision,” stated Mr Hugh Morrison, Wairarapa Provincial President of the Farmers’ Union, at today’s meeting of the executive.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Minister of Agriculture said. “There is a ‘sheep crisis’ in Britain. Home-grown mutton and lamb have been a drug on the market of late. Prices are far below the cost of production. Producers are furious at the state of affairs that has been allowed to develop and the Government is being more and more criticised because of its import policy which the home producers say is ruinous to them.” A report of the National Farmers’ Union meeting at Oban, read: ‘Owing to the increase in British imports of meat, prices had fallen from in 1937 to sjd per lb for mutton in 1938.’ The National Farmers’ Union, Mr Morfison went on to observe, had advocated a more rigid control of such imports undei’ the powers conferred in the Livestock Industry Act, 1937, and also suggested a subsidy at 2Ad per lb on mutton, as the sheep farmer was the only man not subsidised in Britain. The National Farmers’ Union is getting support from the Associated Chambers of Commerce, who state that a new British trade policy is essential and that quantitative restrictions are most likely to promote an amicable settlement. The British Prime Minister, Mr Chamberlain, stated that the Ministry of Agriculture was now engaged in an extensive review of the whole problem with the National Farmers' Union and others, and whatever legislation was found necessary would be proceeded with as quickly as possible. Latest developments show that the Empire Beef Council has drafted a tentative scheme for the control of mutton and lamb imports to be submitted to the Dominions for consideration. The Beef Council met on January 19.

IMPORTS TO BRITAIN. Imports of. mutton and lamb to the United Kingdom for 1938 were as follow:—New Zealand, mutton, 2,175,000; lambs, 9,105,000; Australia, 1,055,000, 5.580,000; South America, 430,000, 4,055,000; totals, 3,660,000; 18,740,000. •“The above figures show,” added Mr Morrigon, “the tendency towards increased supplies by our competitors. Australia has not agreed to restriction of her own supplies but has expressed her desire to have mutton and lamb included in the functions of the Empire Beef Council’s negotiations. Press reports indicate as follow: ‘At this stage, it does not seem likely that the Dominions will be asked to reduce supplies. Rather they will be asked to regulate shipments so that imports into Great Britain will not reach the markets simultaneously with large releases of home-produced stock.’ “As to the Australian fat lamb industry,” Mr Morrison stated, “rapid strides have been made in this trade since the drop in wool prices. Quality has been improved by the importation of the best New Zealand and English Black Faced sires, and the improvement is very marked during the past twelve months. During 1938, at the request of the Australian Meat Board. Mr Coleman, of the Commonwealth Government, made a report on the Australian fat lamb trade after six months’ investigation, the essence of which was that'Australia must strive for quality, but Mr Coleman and other leaders sounded a warning note against the possibility of a huge increase of export resulting in glut in Britain with a free export market. New Zealand pastoralists who have toured Australia during the past year are of opinion that Australia could double or treble her export of fat lambs during the next few years, excepting for her periodical seasonal setbacks. At the present time Australia is objecting to restrictions in her mutton and lamb exports, her main reason being that in the event of future restrictions her quota would be on a par with that of New Zealand.

"The position of Argentine.” said Mr Morrison, “is adequately summed up by the following remarks of Dr Campi bell McMeekan, of Massey College, who has just completed a two months’ investigation of Argentine conditions at the request of the Argentine Meat Producers. His remarks can be summarised as follow:—‘There was a likelihood of Argentine seriously challenging the Dominions’ status on the British Fat Lamb Market. Since beef production had been curtailed, however, interest in fat lambs had been revived. Argentine’s quota was 4,000,000 per annum, and great efforts were being made to meet it with a product equal to r .he Dominions’ best. He considered that there were incalculable prospects for Argentine, as the country had an eminently suitable climate for stock produe) inn of all types.’ "New Zealand,” Mr Morrison went on to observe, “was the founder of the great freezing industry and great credit is due to the pioneers, for they not only established the security of the meat industry but also the dairying industry which has made New Zealand, in the words of world’s experts, ‘The Dairy of the World.’ Since we carried cn these industries for years before our competitors and the quality of our mutton and lamb is unsurpassed, we have every right to demand that our quotas! under the Ottawa Agreement be maintained. In my opinion this is the objective we must firmly and unitedly strive for. Undoubtedly if Australia fulfils the great expansion which is predicted for her on a free export mar-

ket for fat lambs according to experts there is a danger in future years of a glut in the Home market. Professor Belshaw says:—Tn the past, we have quite legitimately assumed an ever expanding market for our primary produce. It was assumed that the population of Great Britain would continue to increase, just as the population of New Zealand would increase. Careful work in recent years shows that these assumptions are no longer valid. What matters, therefore, is that we are no longer entitled to assume expanding population and markets.’ “Finally, reviewing the above statements, one wonders whether, providing we secure the same quotas that were granted us at Ottawa, and providing that restrictions will be imposed only when they are essential in the opinion of the Empire Beef Council, the New Zealand exporter would be better off with the possibility of a glutted market. It would appear that the current producing year will be unaffected by any restriction of export, and until such time as we have a full report of the negotiations between Britain and the Dominions, it behoves us as sheepfarmers to give due and careful consideration to the relation position of New Zealand and her competitors.”