MEAT FOR LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 90, 18 April 1927, Page 4

MEAT FOR LONDON.

WHERE IT COMES FROM. ARGENTINA PREDOMINANT. X.Z. LESSEXKD RETLTtXS. While the proportion of meat supplied to London l.i.ii kets for the first two months of the present year it loss th.-n i.ir the same jicriod in prJH. our <>I<l ri\.tl, •Argentina, appears to 1 ;! \.- started tin.' year with substantial im rea-vs. Details furnished l.v- ;!,,• London ~;!i, - rf the X.-iv Zoa'and Meat l'ro.lmv:s' Board of supplies of meat to the London Central Markets for the two months ended pehruarv ]!)-ii and 1027. are as follow: — Beef and Veal. Cmmlry of Origin. 1027. 1020. Tonnaire. Tonnace. Britain and Ireland ... 7.100 0.727 Australia 4 09 1.84S New Zealand 2.".0 i;i ( Canada O'.io ;tio United States of America :;2 I 253 Argentina 34.790 20.002 Urmruay. ele 1.27:; 4."1t Neth.-rlaiul — :imi other countries — 1.017 Totals 44.537 44.0-17 This table strikingly indicates how completely Argentina, has monopolised the London nArket for beoi and veal. The contributions of the British Dominions. Australia. Canada and Xew Zealand, have been negligible in recent years, but small as they have been, the quantity appears to be diminishing. Recently special efforts have been made to revive the beef export trade of Australia by seeking a practical method of transporting the meat in a chilled, instead of frozen condition. The above figures, however, suggest that the Commonwealth producers are essaying a very difficult task in challenging the Argentine position, and it is not surprising that even British admiralty contracts find their way to foreign firms. Mutton and Lamb. Country of Origin. 1927. 1020. Tonnage. Tonnage. Britain antl Ireland ... 0730 0407 Australia 3701 2428 Xew Zealand 7450 s,S2O Canada — — United States of America 10 7 Argentina 4823 3030 Uruguay, etc aSti 22S Netherland — 034 Othe uotnerrise ~.. Other countries — 20 Totals 23.157 21,430 Xew Zealand still continues as the chief supplier of mutton and lamb, but the figures show a decrease as compared with the receipts from other countries. In any case the 7485 tons of Xew Zealand mutton and lamb look very small alongside the 34,795 tons of beef sent from Argentina. Pork and Bacon. Country of Origin. 1927. 1020. Tonnage. Tonnage. Britain and Ireland .. . 0140 1424 Australia tilt 4 New Zealand OS 4 Canada tit ISO United States of America ISO 204 Argentina 408 105 Uruguay, etc 0 — Netherlands 4SS 7207 Other countries 323 751 Totals 6700 0944 The chief feature in this table is the effect which the imposition of the embargo placed upon European imports, on accouut of foot and mouth disease, has had on supplies. The result has been to block the imports from Holland, which formerly held a predominating position. Apparently the consumers have had to be satisfied with lessened supplies, but Britain's domestic market has made great strides in filling the gap. It was only to be expected that local producers should have been in the best position to take advantage of the Dutch exclusion, but the figures above show remarkable expansion.

It lias been emphasised frequently enough that an opportunity has occurred for the producers of this Dominion to get a hold on the bacon and pork industry, but although considerable activity has been shown the results are still not apparent iu official returns. The Argentine, on the other hand, shows a substantial increase in this division. Two months' returns are scarcely sufficient upon which to build definite conclusions, but they are interesting as showing the trend of the year 1927 so far as supplies to the London markets are concerned.