MEAT TRIMMING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1941, Page 6

MEAT TRIMMING

SIR WILLIAM PERRV’S VIEW WOULD MEAN DEAD LOSS TO FARMER. LOWER PRICE FOR LAMB CARCASES. Some interesting observations with regard to recent demonstrations of the trimming of meat carcases, and the controversy that has arisen on the subject. were made by Sir William Perry, when he was interviewed by a “TimesAge" representative. On account of his extended service as a member of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and on a number of occasions as its acting-chairman, Sir William has an exceptional knowledge of all that is involved in questions of this kind. “It is hard for me to believe.” Sir William observed, “that we have in this district any farmers who can go astray so easily over a question as simple as that of the treatment of a carease of mutton. I allude to the demonstration given by Mi’ S. Timbs, on June 25. Heavy carcases such as were treated (weight 821bs) have not been exported whole for some years, but only parts of them, so there was nothing new in what Mr Timbs did with this heavy, fat carcase. But it would be a very different proposition with lamb. The Meat Board has shown that to treat lamb in the same way would bring down a carcase of 341 b weight down by 4.871 b. This meat (lambs have not a lot of surplus fat) would of itself be worth very little. The position thus is that the farmer would lose from 2s io 3s per head, as the price he is getting at present from the British Government is a fixed one per lb. delivered on board ship. “The method which is being carried out of telescoping the carcases was ordered by the British Government to conserve space in the ships,” Sir William said, "and is therefore mandatory. Under this method very little harm is done to the carcases.

“The meeting of farmers held on June 25,” Sir William added, “seems to have missed the most vital question—namely that of the 1,250.000 ewe carcases in store, which in all probability it will not be possible to ship. If these carcases are allowed to remain in store over the next season, then at the peak of the killing there will be a block and farmers will have to hold their lambs back, which would be a most serious position. 'There is a further danger and that is that if these ewe carcases are not got out of the way in the slack months, tile works will not be able to deal with them in the busy season. There will be sure to be another 1,000.000 ewes to bo killed next autumn and unless the large slocks held in store at present are dealt with, •there will bo chaos. The Meat Board is alive to this question, but the meat belongs io the Government.”