Supply and demand projections of the United Kingdom meat market in 1975

Abstract

This report is based on results from work carried out in the marketing research programme of the Research Unit. This programme is concerned amongst other things with building up long term projections of export markets for New Zealand agricultural products. Publication of the views contained in this report of the prospects for New Zealand meat in the United Kingdom market is particularly timely in view of the absence of market projections from the report of the Agricultural Committee of the National Development Conference. This has been the subject of much criticism, some of it unjustified, and while the present report can in no sense be regarded as representing an official view it at least goes some way towards the formulation of market targets to supplement the production targets. The report is not a forecast of the future but sets out what seems to be the likely future for meat prices in the United Kingdom over the next five years in the light of our present knowledge about the structure of the meat market, and of the variables operating in it; and given certain assumptions about the future development of those variables.