MEAT PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1939, Page 5

MEAT PRODUCTION

RESTRICTIONS ON EXPORT SERIOUS PROBLEMS RAISED MR H. MORRISON’S SURVEY. THE MARKETING OUTLOOK. Questions arising out of the imposition by the British Government of restrictions on meat imports from the Dominions were dealt with .in some detail, at the meeting of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union today, by Mr Hugh Morrison, Provincial President. At the outset, Mr Morrison said it was gratifying to note that Mr James Begg, a member of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, had stated, when he was interviewed at Dunedin on March 11, that there would be ho restrictions on killing for the 1939 season. Mr Begg considered, also, that New Zealand producers should take care to have their full quota in hand by December 31, 1939, which was definitely set down as the end of the current export season, while the succeeding quota year would commence on January 1, 1940. “Mr Begg is emphatic,” Mr Morrison continued, “that we should make up our full quota in preparation for the new quota which is based mainly on the quantity export of the 1939 season. This will probably compel us to kill more for export before next Christmas in the event of a shortage in sight before that date. It may be necessary in 1940 to restrict killing and this will be a serious thing for New Zealand. Fortunately the Home Government had allowed us to decide which class of meat we will restrict.

“We can take it for granted that the restriction we will exercise will be on old ewe mutton and the possible restriction mentioned is 4,000 to 5,000 tons on a 3 per cent basis, but there is evidently a danger of more drastic restriction being required. “The question then arises: ‘What are we going to do with approximately a quarter of a million or more ewes left over?' The local markets will be oversupplied resulting in not only a drop in the price locally for ewe mutton, but in a similar reaction on the local market for wether mutton and beef.

BOILING DOWN WORKS? “One suggestion that has been made is to reopen the boiling down works in each province to produce tallow, pelts, fertilisers, casings, tinned meats and, such like, but can we produce fertilisers and bye-products at an economic price? 1 confess I do not know, but it is a matter for urgent investiga-, tion. “Another suggestion is that we form producer pools and barter our surplus as in the case of Argentine and other South American States with their surplus beef for which they took goods from Germany, Italy and other countries. I have my doubts of our possibility of success in this direction, as Ar-, genuine and other States are bartering their first-quality beef which is an entirely different proposition to bartering with our thirdrdass mutton. We are already bartering our butter with Germany but again with a first-ciass article. Another factor arises in the probable lack of refrigeration and cool stores in these other countries which does not apply so much in the case of Argentine chilled beef. “The British National Farmers’ Union through the Empire Conference at Sydney suggested that the British Minister of Agriculture make arrangements to sell the surplus meat such as ours to other countries, but here again Argentine and South American States are established much ahead of us while some meat exporters inform me we have no chance whatever of quitting our surplus meats to other countries. CHILLED BEEF EXPANSION. “A still further suggestion which, as far as the North Island is-concerned is a very good one, is to aim at reducing our sheep and increasing our cattle with a view to expanding our chilled beef industry. This would result in an improvement in the quality of lamb and sheep generally on hill country and would also act as a check on the deterioration of this glass of country. “The initial handicaps to this method are firstly—Whether the Empire Beef Council would permit an increase of our beef quota. Secondly, have we enough suitable fattening country apart from that occupied by the dairying industry to fatten what could be grown on the hill country? Thirdly, other countries, particularly Australia, Canada, South Africa, Rhodesia and Kenya are already clamouring for increased quotas of chilled beef. “The seriousness of this problem to the hill farmer and the breeder of ewes on second and third-class country cannot be over-estimated, and I have endeavoured to present the facts so that we can face the definite reality which is before us. “I have no doubt that the Meat Board will be seriously considering the position as outlined, but any final suggestion or solution must be put to the sheep-farming industry as a body before a final decision is made. Not only does the position affect the sheep industry but all sections of the community will be affected through the necessity of meeting our overseas commitments with a reduced export tonnage and value.” ‘