Mr. Guestasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the official statement that the increase in the total imports of mutton this year is due to larger arrivals of ewe mutton, he can state the countries from which it comes and the amount of such ewe mutton which has been imported in each of the last three years?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonImports of ewe mutton are not separately distinguished in the United Kingdom trade returns, but a reliable indication of such imports can be gained from the statistics of seasonal killings for export in New Zealand, practically the whole of which are sent to this country. The increased imports of mutton during the first nine months of this year came entirely from New Zealand, supplies from other sources having declined. In the last three seasons killings of sheep for export in New Zealand have been as follow:
520W
Season (12 months ended 30th September). Wether Mutton Carcases. Ewe Mutton Carcases. 1935–36 … 1,143,247 737,480 1936–37 … 970,684 805,891 1937–38 … 1,016,546 1,171,541
Mr. Guestasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the substantial increase in the imports of mutton during the first nine months of this year; and whether he now proposes, in view of the state of the sheep industry, to restrict this large volume of imports in future?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonI am aware that there has been some increase in imports of mutton during the first nine months of this year, but this was largely offset by smaller imports of lamb, which is more closely competitive with the home product. Total imports of mutton and lamb during this period were only 1 per cent. above the quantities imported in the corresponding period of 1937. As regards the second part of the question, the supply position during the forthcoming year is receiving consideration.