FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10279, 10 December 1924, Page 6

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

PROBLEM OF SOUTHLAND LAMB.

FARMERS AND FREEZERS

CONFER.

INVERCARGILL, December 9. The loss to Southland through lamb going north to be frozen and exported Ts a matter that has been frequently before the Southland Provincial Ex-' eeutive of the Farmers' Union, and a conference on the subject was held today between representatives of the executive and the Southland freezing companies. Mr Adamson, secretary of the Farmers' Union, said that the drift of Southland lamb to the north had been exercising the minds of members of the union executive for some time past, and the conference was being held to see if they could evolve some means of preventing this. Mr Gilkinson, chairman of directors of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, said the quantity going from Southland was so infinitesimal in com-

parison with the total that it could not possibly affect the quality of Canterbury lamb. The present position concerned farmers; but it also affected a great deal more the shareholders of freezing companies. He did not think there was any doubt in the world that Southland lamb was inferior to Canterbury in quality. He quoted a communication from the London manager of the Meat Board dealing with the suDject, and also read London wholesale price lists, in which, in every case, Southland lamb was quoted lower than Canterbury, and this represented its intrinsic value. It was the growers here who were wrong, not the freezing companies. The companies simply put it through a process. They could not control the market nor affect quality. The companies did not rob the carcases

of weight, for the mere weigno tuey could return, the more charges they ' got. They also had as good graders as a,ny in New Zealand, and their works were amongst the best equipped in the Dominion. The company would give any advance they liked, send to any agents they wanted, free gratis and for nothing, and fellmonger the skins and sell the pelts free of commission. The farmer who sent his lamb out of the province for the sake of a few pence (and that was doubtful) was robbing the port of Bluff of a certain amount of its revenues, and assisting to spoil the province's shipping facilities. It was axiomatic that better shipping facilities meant better prices. Mr MeKenzie: That's the view we've taken. We want to keep it in South- ' land, and we want to know why it is going out. , Continuing, Mr Gilkison said that any farmer not satisfied with the price in the paddocks could sell on the ; hooks. What the company wanted was better quality. ! Mr Johnston, member of the execu- . tive of the union, said they might get .

better quality by sheep men using Down rams. They could not go in altogether for Downs because they must keep their ewe flocks going. He was satisfied they had not got the type they might "have. He thought very strongly that Romney and Border Leicester men could help them to a large extent. Mr Gilkison said he was going to suggest going in for a campaign which would help to improve the quality. He intended tct suggest .prizes for the best class of Border Leicester, and the same for Romney, Shropshire and Southdown, suitable for the fat lamb trade, and he also thought it would be a "•ood thing if the company offered a urize for the best pen of fat lambs loathe summer show as a demonstration exhibit. ■ , Mr Cochrane, manager of the houtnland Frozen Meat Company, said that London buyers preferred a 321 b lamb to a 351 b one, and they had few under 351 b in Southland. The plain truth was that Southland lamb was too heavy. Mr Johnston said he was satisfied that by united effort they could effect an improvement. He knew that stock in Southland compared more than favourably with the rest of the Dominion, and the same thing could be said for anv animal reared and fed in Southland. It was a matter of careful breeding and getting the right stuff to suit the London market. If the compair, decided to go in for higher quality they would like them to come along to the executive and explain their plan, anc 1 it would perhaps tend to get farmers to co-operate. , ~ Mr Gilkison said they would consid er that aspect of the position. Thej had not done so yet, having been mor< concerned with keeping the quality up. -, ,-, Mr Anderson expressed the opmioi that the conference, while nothing ver? practical had been achieved, would d< good, and if they could improve th< quality and the quantity of expor from the Bluff, they would feel that th discussion that night would have beei of some use.