FROZEN MEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 6, 7 January 1916, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT.

AUCKLAND'S RECORD EXFORX PRICES THE. • HIGHEST ' DOUBLED IN SIX \TEARS/ . - A^! 0 ]" 1 f V Point of view *>» P re sent Auckland frozen meat season has been a most satisfactory one, since both the quantity of meat produced and the pricesreaped easily constitute a record. The rapid growth of the industry is" .shown by the fact that for the year ending 31 ' 1911 ' the *>«*• ™*™. and lamb exported by the Auckland Farmere Freezing " Company to Umted Kingdom amounted. " t<, 48 000 export (601b) carcases, while - f £ u £i the 1012 total dr °PP e d slightly to 40,000 carcases, the two succeeding years showed the enormously increased returns of 132,000 and 295,000 carcases respectively. The export for 1915 again showed a big lead over any previous total, as the company dealt with no-less than 345,000 carcases in the twelve months. The improvement in prices has been no less marked. Twenty-five years ago mutton and beef realised barely enough to pay freight, commission and other charges, and instances ,a're> known in the past where farmers were content to allow their sheep to : bis shorn by anyone who would take the wool away. In December, 1909, lamb' was fetching 3£d a lb over all, on the hooks, and ox beef 19/ per lOOlbs, whereas the present prices are-6jd- and 42/ respectively; making an increase of about 100 per centin six years. ■•'-.- THE PRESENT SEASON. " '<" The following table shows the export carcases slaughtered and frozen by the company since June 30th .last, compared with the figures for the same period of last season:— . v. '. .""" 0915. ::"':: Ms/ Cattle—Freezers 15.146 ',: i0;217 Boners 119 879 Calves ...'... 259 '"-'Sfti Sheep 10,944- 37,805 ■Lambs •••....,.•- .8,133. The most notable feature" of; the'pre* sent 6eason is the greatly increased/beef production, ■ which is -about 50 "pcr 1 > cent higher than that for the second half of 1914. This -is attributed largely., to ■■ the very favourable prices. ..ruling,;.^-which, offer every encouragement, to of cattle on all classes of land. The large area of new country that ie being opened up in the province is_.-being utilised for this purpose-on account of the improvement effected by-the. cattle.'ia eating down-the fern~and-allowing-the grass to establish . itself/ ..Although much of. the land .is. scarcely .fit ;ior,fattening . tbe. good " for stores have induced eettlere v to take on the business. -Sheep, it will -Tbe ribticedj'show- a considerable-dr0p,,371895 carcases to 10,944. "This is '.not.;-Inter-preted as indicating a. poor seSson or a falling off in the. total "number of sheep. Prices for local consumption at the preeent time are higher than-export -pnees, and this with the fact tfist'shearing has been considerably delayed hy' the - wet '..' spring is considered sufficient.to account"'"" for the" decrease. FREEZING AND SHIPPING SPACE! ■ Some time back the- : Coaipany-was the subject pi;some'criti*. ciamon theground that it aad failedto provide sufficient acconiSiodation "for the ■increased ointput of' the' last' two years. ; In 1911 ani".lSl2'.tne'directors did not consider,the aspects, sufficiently; encouraging to -warrant large' exten- \i sions to their work, but matters are now on a thoroughly.good""footing, as the new works at Horotiu—with .a" killing capacity of 3,000 carcases', a :day, and storage space for 70,000 carcases^— are expected to be opened on JanuaryIT. Big extensions have been inadfe. at Southdown and also' at Auckland, -with the result that the storage capacity of the company, has been doubled.' The entire output of 191.1 or 1912, itraayvbe noted, could now be dealt with in Iβ days. There is now refrigerated .space .for -140.000 carcases l of. meat,-2,500,, tons of buttef, 1,300-tons.of cheese, s and. ialarge qbaiitity of- fruit, eggs/, and;other.,produce. , ;:"'. - ■."'".. '■'.:'•','• "_-:..',.-' ■ The. extreme shortage-of refrigerated . siiippiDg .space ■ which' occurred "last season i 3 not likely, to be* repeated.diir-.-ing the coming months. Since July last requirements-have been ; fully--met, '. ahd it is not; expected that any difficulty wili.ibe found during fbe'--remainder : ;of the seasori,'.althougli..theispace'alicicated to AuckhiridJ-has nofyet"been The "Overseas' '.Committee': ..at .Wellington announced on. December -30 --that! eight 'steamers;- -withya -capacity:. ; of- 743,000. freight'carcases Avould'.loadinN'ewrZea,laiid during January,. eight more witli. a. capacity of :7!)4,00b; carcases in February,, aiid ten. others- - with'-jia. eapacity; of 1.027,000 carcases in, March.. This space 13 considered: to be ample, .especially as the Auckland..season is likely to.con' tihue some time longer-than is;the case in : the squtt. Appiicatipiis for_ killing .space ior co less' than' 12,000' cattle ;3n the second half of January have.';been. - received by the company, but dnly'oneraxth of this, viz., 2;000 'head,, has. beVa granted; thi3 being: the full . the Auckland.-w.orks. ,. i ,Atl'..H.o. l i9,tiu preference will be given first to sheep and liimbs: 30,000 of which-will "prdbably; be killed during the period'mentibhedi