COOL STORAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 247, 26 July 1940, Page 7

COOL STORAGE

CAPACITY STILL INSUFFICIENT.

REVIEW BY THE MEAT BOARD. Further cool storage space is needed in New Zealand to make the situation of the meat exporting industry safe, according to the annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. Some freezing works have already provided additional space, the report states, but the position is still giving the board concern.

“In its last annual report the board expressed the opinion that it would ;b,e in the interests of the Dominion if storage facilities were increased at a number of works, as there was no doubt that the refrigerated storage capacity at many works in the Dominion was not equal to the strain of an abnormal season, such as the one just experienced. “Immediately upon the outbreak of war, quotas imposed by the British Government on mutton and lamb were abandoned, and arrangements were made to ship at once this surplus meat and clear the stores before the new season commenced. As a result of conferences called by the Government—in which the board co-operated —a great deal has been done to remedy the deficiency in cool storage. The position brought about by the current season’s record kill would have been very much worse if it had not •been for the additional cool storage built by several freezing companies to meet the Government's requirements. “The board views with concern the position which had arisen consequent upon the war, and it considers that the additional storage which has been provided is not yet commensurate with the increased kill. After the experience of the last war, it is imperative that the Dominion must possess ample cool storage to meet any position which may arise.

‘The Primary Industries Controller called a meeting of all freezing companies to discuss further the whole position of cool storage as created by the war, and the state of shipping and storage which has developed. In the board’s opiijion, nothing could be more disastrous to the farming community than the inability to kill their fat stock owing to freezing works’ cool stores being congested.”