NEW ZEALAND MEAT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1941, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND MEAT

EXPORT KILLINGS SHIPPING & STORAGE POSITION. DEPUTATION WAITS ON MR NASH. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board called a special conference at Wellington this week of its delegates in the various districts in the Dominion to consider the present and future position of the meat industry. The chairman (Mr T. A. Duncan), and the general manager (Mr John Fraser) traversed the whole position in detail, having regard to the export killings, and the shipping and storage position. After a discussion, the Board and the delegates, as a deputation representative of the meat producers of the Dominion, waited upon the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, and the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, Mr Barclay. The chairman of the Meat Board (Mr T. A. Duncan) said that farmers throughout the country were very anxious to know details as to what the position was going to be for next season. They were also very disturbed about the. large stocks of ewe mutton in the various stores in the Dominion, and their effect on the future position of the industry. The Board and the delegates were strongly of opinion that this ewe mutton should not be shipped, but should be boned out or otherwise disposed of at once. Mr H. B. S. Johnstone (South Canterbury) contended that if the boning out were not proceeded with immediately at all speed, the carcases could not be boned out later owing to the congestion in the works when the next killing season opened. “The blocking of the stores is unthinkable,” he said, “but as regards the shipping of the carcases whole, these would take up space urgently required for lamb, beef and ether meat which is much more valuable than the ewe meat. At all costs, we must not allow cheap meat to take the place of better meat in the very limited refrigerated shipping tonnage which is available.” Mr A. Briscoe (North Auckland) dealt in detail with the importance of maintaining a marketable value for ewes. The Government had rightly accepted the principle that any loss due to war conditions should be spread as equitably as possible over the whole community. The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, in the course of his reply said that the 'schedule of meat prices for next season was at present under consideration, and that the Government would consult th'e Meat Board, as the representatives of the meat producers, in this matter. In regard to ewe mutton in store, ho explained that the boning of these ewes for canning had been held up in the meantime because of cabled advice received from London, and they were now exchanging further cables to ascertain the present position. Later in the daj r , the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing (Mr Barclay) met the Board and the Delegates and supplied them with a detailed statement as to how the Government views the position in regard to carrying on next season, having regard to the estimated export killings and the prospective shipping and storage position. A very full discussion afterwards took place, and Mr Barclay answered several questions raised by the delegates.