MEAT STORAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 152, 9 April 1941, Page 9

MEAT STORAGE

SURVEY OF AVAILABLE SPACE.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 8. Cool storage facilities in the Dominion for meat were outlined by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. J. G. Barclay) in a statement issued to-night. He said that at the outbreak of war tile total amount of cool storage available was 16,500,000 cubic feet, representing a capacity of approximately 165,000 tons. The total capacity now available in the; Dominion was 20,200,000 cubic feet, capable of holding 210,000 tons. Meat stock returns repeived from freezing companies on March 22 indicated that there was in store approximately 156,000 tons, leaving a reasonable margin of safety at present.

“Apart, however, from the 20,200,000 cubic feet already available for storage, there, is an additional 3,240,000 cubic feet now being built under the emergency cool storage plans laid down by the Government,” said the Minister. “A considerable proportion has already been completed. It will all be ready for use before the end of the present season. The storage capacity of the Dominion will then amount to 245,380 tons before encroaching on any freezer space, which would provide further capacity in an emergency for the storage of 57,600 tons. Therefore, in total, the storage available for this season’s kill, should it be required, amounts to more than 300,000 tons, which closely approximates the average export kill in a normal season. “The emergency construction under way will mean the full utilisation of all the refrigerated materials it. has been possible to purchase from overseas. When this programme is nearing completion the Government will automatically review the position in consultation with members of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. There is a necessity also to take into account the possible dangers of erecting unlimited storage, which might mean the accumulation of large quantities of meat to an extent which would render it impossible to secure export, with the present restricted shipping programme, within sufficient time to prevent serious deterioration through staleness. New Zealand’s general meat storage position is at present immeasurably superior to that of Australia, in which country up to a few weeks ago storage facilities allowed for holding only six weeks’ killing of stock.”