MUTTON AND LAMB
EXPORTS TO BRITAIN NEW ZEALAND QUALITY NOT THREATENED. LOW RETURN FOR FINE WOOLS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON This Day. “Much has been said in recent times about the necessity of further improving the quality of our export lamb. It is agreed that every effort should be made in this direction, but a visit to England rather dispels the idea that our competitors are in any way threatening our supremacy in quality, stated the annual report of the Director-Gen-eral of Agriculture, Mr A. H. Cockayne, which was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday. The report commented that the decline Of 500,000 sheep in the Dominion’s flocks for the year ended April 1, 1939, could not be accepted as an indication of a decline in the sheep industry, as had been suggested, as breeding ewes had increased appreciably and had reached a figure approximating 20,000,000. It was added,’ however, that the most serious position which had risen with*-regard to export mutton and lamb was that during the past season the United Kingdom had imposed a quantitative restriction which was less than the Dominion’s export killing and was less than a breeding-ewe population of 20,000,01)0 was likely to produce in a favourable year. “At present New Zealand’s quota is fixed in the vicinity of 190,000 tons, and with our present ewe flocks a normal export kill would represent about 10,000,000 lambs, 1,000,000 wethers, and over 1,000,000 aged ewes, which is in excess of 190,000 tons,” the report stated. “The endeavour to foster British production must necessitate, for a period at legst, some alteration in our marketing. “So far as export lamb is concerned there is no need for any apprehension that increasing quantities cannot be satisfactory marketed within the quota limits, but a very serious position has arisen, and will continue to exist, in the export of aged-ewe mutton. This class of meat is the least wanted in Great Britain, and some method must be arrived at whereby this class of mutton is reduced to make full room for* expanding lamb exports. At the same time, it will be essential to adopt some formula of equalisation based on total killing in order that the reduction in aged-ewe exports does not bring about an unreasonably low price for breeding ewes, one of the major sources of income for sheep-breeders. “The wool-clip this season was moderately heavy. The number of sheep shorn was greater than ever before, and the yield was a record, but as the price was approximately Id a pound lower the aggregate return was about the same as last year, between £9,000,000 and £10,000,000. A very disturbing feature of the prices has been inp low return for fine wools, which have been, if anything, a little lower than coarse wools. The future ahead of fine wools is not promising. No doubt prices will rise beyond their present low level, but whether or not the high prices of the past will ever be again realised depends largely on the future of staple fibres, the production of which is increasing enormously. One point is perfectly clear: the total word’s supply of wool is not now anything like sufficient for the total requirements of goods which at one time were manufactured entirely from wool. Thus substitutes have become a necessity in world trade.”
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1939, Page 3
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552MUTTON AND LAMB Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1939, Page 3
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