MEAT PROSPECTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 171, 21 July 1924, Page 6

MEAT PROSPECTS.

! THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS. i I BIG INCREASE IN LAMBS. WINTER FEEDING OF EAVES. "The last two seasons have bean very unfavourable for the fattening of live i stock, especially the season just ' finished," said Mr. W. Perry, president of the Xew Zealand Council of Agricul- , ture, at the annual conference of that 1 body. ''During the past year," lie con- ; tinued, ''exceptional dryness was experi- ■ enced right throughout the Dominion. The effett of this drought, particularly at the commencement of the season, was shown on the" general condition of our lambs shipped, and has been a big factor in the \arg<i niw.iber of secondclass lambs killed. By the lambing returns last year, it is pleasing to note that there has been an increase of 055,451 lambs born as compared with the previous season, and it is to be hoped that there will be a further increase when the returns come to hand at the end of this season. As compared 1 with our other primary products, it is ■ very interesting to note the steady ' prices realised on Smithfield. durinir the last two years for lamb and mutton, particularly lamb, there being practically little fluctuations whatever. This is most gratifying to the producers, for nothing so enables a farmer to see daylight and to make arrangements for the future so much as a steady, stabilised market. There has been practically no improvement in the beef market at Home owing to the large quantities of chilled beef constantly being shipped from South America. With the development of cur dairying industry a large number of cows are coming forward for killing at the different freezing works, and are being shipped as boneless beef, there being a good demand for this I class of beef from the different manu-1 facturing centres of great Britain. I "The killings of wetlierss this year," > continued the president, "will be slightly under last year's figures. The decrease in the killings of wethers is i becoming more marked each year, as might be expected consequent on the development of our lamb export trade.! There have been considerably more ewes killed this year for export than last season, as might be expected owing to the large number of ewes being retained for breeding the previous season. It is surprising , to note the small amount of artificial feed that is grown in the North Island as compared ivith the South, particularly Canterbury. From the districts where most attention is given to the artificial feeding of lambs, the results shown by the number of lambs, and particularly the quality turned out, are considerably ahead of other districts where the nature of the soil and other natural features are practically identical. It is most essential that ewes should be kept on gopd feed, not only after they lamb, but for weeks before the lambs are dropped, particular attention being paid to winter feed." i -" : "" s