MUTTON EXPORT RESTRICTION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1939, Page 4

MUTTON EXPORT RESTRICTION.

yy.TIEN the British Government intimated some, months ago that imports of New Zealand mutton and lamb into the United Kingdom for Ihe current year would he reduced by three per cent as compared, with the corresponding imports of last year, it was realised that the effect of the cut would be somewhat serious and also that the restricton would have to be applied to mutton, as the less valuable of the two products concerned. Though the outlook was to that extent, defined, an announcement by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board of the actual restrictions to be imposed on exports of mutton for the remainder of the year must have come as a staggering shock to primary producers and others concerned. In' terms of this announcement, only 45 per cent of all mutton held in store at April .15 last, together with subsequent killings to September 30, may be shipped in vessels scheduled to arrive in the United Kingdom on or before December 10, 1939. Only estimates, and these hardly authoritative, are yet available of the carry-over of mutton that will thus be entailed. The amount certainly will be very large, however, and action evidently is necessary to put the position into such order as 'will minimise losses in the extent to which that is possible. Restrictions on the export of mutton inevitably will raise the question of restrictions on the sale of the product and on prices. Account has to be taken of the factors, amongst others, of storage costs and of deterioration due to extended storage. The prospect opened is so serious that no time should be lost by the Government in explaining precisely what was implied in the assurance given by the Minister of Marketing (the lion AV. Nash) in February last, when he said, with reference to restrictions on mutton exports:— Even though killings may be expected to exceed the quotas at present allowed by the United Kingdom, the Government and the board (the Meat Producers' Board) will take all steps that are required to deal with the surplus. As yet, the IToii AV. L. Martin, who is acting as Minister of Marketing in Air Nash’s absence, has contented himself with quoting the statement Air Nash made in February. The problem of dealing with surplus mutton must speedily assume urgent importance, however, and a positive statement of policy appears to be called for. The problem is too big to be handled by the producers individually. The outcome, from the producers’ standpoint, must depend chiefly upon the measures taken by the Government and the Aleat Board “to deal with the surplus.” Information on that vital point will be awaited with considerable anxiety.