FROZEN PRODUCE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18927, 16 February 1927, Page 10

FROZEN PRODUCE.

MEAT SUPPLY AND DEMAND THE BEEF STRUGGLE. ' (FROM OCR irECIAL CORRESPONUEM.) LONDON, January 6th. lo advanco of tjie official returns of frozen meat imports into tho United Kingdom during; 1020, one is able to furnish for the interest of New Zealand renders the main totals and some comparison* which havo several lessons for the trade. One of the chief grounds for comfort in the minds of those who suffered from lower meat prices last year was the fact that conditions were nnt worse in spite of an increased total importation of meat into Great Britain over the year. Lamb and Mutton. Reckoned in freight carcase measure* mcot, the total arrivals of all classes of frozen and chilled meats at British ports for the twelvo months was 36,572,020 carcases. This was 181,384 freight carcases more than in tho twelve months of 1925. When one looks nt the total inutton and lamb shipments from Australia and New Zealand ono really wonders how, in spite of all tho terrific labour troubles convulsing the country, prices held as well as they did. For Now Zealand sent altogether 2,208,588 careases of mutton and 4,986,506 lamb carcases, an increase on the proviouß year of 606,861 carcases, of which over half a million increase related to lambs. Australian shipments were also heavier, comprising 1,725,018 lambs and 459,940 sheep, a total increase of 307,676 careases, almost equally divided among sheep and lambs. The fact that South America sent forward rather fewer carrases' of this meat, namely 2,462,855 sheep and 2,118,077 lambs, decreases respectively of 100,166 sheep and 760,725 lambs, brought the grand total arrivals of mutton and lamb from all sources into British porta lower than thoy other* wiao would havo been, yet the . total figure 14,051,893 carcases shows a net increase of 44,656 carcases over the total for the previous year, i Beef Imports. ; Whep one turns to beef, the .heavier t<ttal, of courso, relates to Bouth America ifMeh to igreatly overshadows the; rest of the trade. The-total'.arrivals of jftosen and.,chilled fieef quarters ; from all' sources' last' year wert'7,72B,Wl quarters, comprised as follows:—Australia, 880,703 quarters, decreaso 221y 343} New Zealand, 269,802 quarters; inerease 5882; South America, 010,555 fkoHB quarters, decrease 846,887, and $896,649.efci11ed quarters, increase .608,453. .These figures with those previously'tfientioned. relating, :to jnutton and umb give the total freight carcase en--if* into Great Britain for 1920 as 36,572,020 carcases.

London'! Becord. A preliminary statement of- the past jwar'a record of.supplies a, the London 'Central Markets shows, that nearly half-a million-tons of .meat and-pro-exact, .480,838 tone, arrived af what u known fy some' aa polls" this great total comparing with 466,833 tona for 1025, an increase of 14,416. tons, .or 84 .per cent. Beef form* td the protlon of the total sup!>U«t arriving at Smithfleld, constitute «g jut upon 66 per cent, of the total; mutton and lamb reaching 80 per cent., and pork nearly fifr per cont, poultry, gone, ete., accounting for the further f, per, cent. Argentina, as usual,.swept tirdookf In the beef supply, eontributIm, altogether lSlfiM tons during tho tfjSmiit 72.8 per cent.-of Jhe total quanUsH,oip On ihe othor ljajftlfrw Zealand-kept.the mutton'and Wiib'snpply going "by 'sending 65,836 or 4w>- per'cent* *p'i' the total mnkeiratiktfio.Hetropolis. As MbnUtpork the embargo plated won fmhtnteatilmporta from;Earbp*,dnr'' , lif^So pa»t a mM& of 16,688 tons from Holland, fikWfWttvalesi of nearly half i million qfiiMpurs.' To-day the- wholesale /price - , affigffisjaasM of bfof, mutton, and lamb ' tMsfvtjir .una a jew ago, while ehbiee • i - teal are..t}d per lb dearer. * W*«w of the beef wfilei came tci<Lon' sMh'lfMi p*r, cent, come from foreign Mraa'i-Uio Dominions only contributed fiisflr cent, and .home p*f«nk Mutton, and. lamb on toother * ipljlmri'f/nifflni TnmMnnsiffil IM e«&T^ r oWp« p«r " Hit.' of homo origin, and only 18.fr per / imt. foreign, foreign pork flgnred at AM per cent, of the., Jtotnl London ':. snpply, per; 6ent,,hom* prodafti.aad onlyii.7jer.oent.flf the SottlnWs origin, i ' . , % 7>*tit Americana to gatthfleld. . #h*.giganU* proportion* whieh the LoWok Central Markets pitching* of \ aitft oajNuna w«ra well evidenced to the Writer, when be visited West JSmlthneld en. the Monday, before Chriitmas and s*w>wn tie great avenue} altogether , Rontons of of meat 8800 tons In a single day, the American ttrnui won prominently represented in' a • tfMrfal>e«nibit of prize and other spec meats from Bnenos ; Aires, wnkh they showed at their stands IA the Stntfcnfleld Annexe. The quality * of the b%ec\ and. also, the mutton and . .laeiVwM of > very.h&h ebitacter, the ~ MM Inelndlng a apeeUTo»yJ*some . Cttfstona fattenetftwo-yfemVbeef which would compete almosTfttttn Eng- * *and% beat The mutton art limb car- : .eases provided an object lesSW both of - • tebeding and butchering, and their, grad* them appear like peas In a ' * ivSfc The superlative character of the ' 'SoadltioA and pocking of the-boxed of- - rott, which 'formed sthe centrepieces of - I int ixhihit of both Messrs Swift and Ar- " commented upon, andl th* American tans must find this ' tmnii»J>fflrT ( * atan t -""it "*■* . mem- * ' smith- . ■ year.'- - It most net be forgotten, however, that in the .'.SFnssMC&'S! > by the "'. *"*'. ''^j^'^lirtpiMittoa^Meef-"War. S" given lit tbii column I '' l i^eniffw*'wotement aa .to? the inner j strtg|le'.between the • sneauTmbrtial Biver fflk ft waT'sp&ay list month .. been, arrived '. «t,ln 1*» eonlieit" whkh h * d been .* a progress for about 20 months, since the break-up* «f ike understanding as to the total amount* of meat to bo sent for- ■* ward from Argentine to the British mar'ft* ktt. It i* aowvitated inrLondon that 1 'threeof tbo biggest combatants in this i i "moat war" hvH arrived at a settle- ,<■? meat is to the pereentagee of the Engi'..'- nab trade whiehi a importers, they are , These irmsare'Mestrs "vestey wrtAhnojßr and' Morris, Ltd^ Idea that the Smlthfleld and Ar•Meat <hn Ltd., wtth r several flrnis, i| still holding out for a

bigger pe; - cca. l -£c tiis.T ':?..'. ytr been offered to it. It is >«3u<:l-..-L."! thai while keen competition -.viU co duu'jt bo continued, though on a '.met acale, the present agreement wiil affect the greater part of the interests concci-r.ed. Meanwhile thc-Jsstith£*M and Argentine Meat Co. has announced the postponement o: its preference diviJcr.-i due at the end of ti.e year ll ; -6. :;a 1 In; observed r. policy of caution in r:g..id to its fiusiicc I i:i order t,» c.ablu '., ■ > i:i:ii;it;ti:i a ! strong j-oiiti'ii!. ■ i WHEAT'. THE DUMPING .OL"i'Y. EN'CE. I ' Tho Canterbury Ch..::iLcr of Com- : mcrco has circularise*! ail concerned in I the question of an adequate dumping j duty on wheat to the following effect: The Minister's recent definition tf tJi? ba.sis on which the dumping duty on Australian flour is to to calculated does not appear to give general satisfaction to those concerned. Mr W. Mnchiii, chairman of tho .special committee appointed at the last conference, to arrange a deputation to Wellington is not by any means satisfied with the present position and desires another conference to bo called at once to consider further action. In order to save delay, the Chamber of Commerce has convened a conference for to-day in the Chamber of Commerce rooms at 2.15 p.m. Mr W. Machin's Views. "I think the whole question of wheat-growing should be decided immediately at the full conference of all concerned," Mr W. Machin stated to a representrttive of The Pbbbs yesterday. "The wheat-growers should be told whothcr it is the Government's wish or hot' that they should continue their industry. Apart from, the bountiful Harvest 'of tlio present year, where quantity will to some'extent - make up for price, it is impossible to coritemElato that wheat-growing in New Zeamcl can bo done, at ,less f Jhan Gs a. bushel, if present costs and expenses to tho farmer are to prevail. "The Government lias recognised the necessity for 'supporting'"other industries. It has given duties of a protective character from 15 to 45 per cent. ;for the.purpose; of assisting manufacturing and secondary industries. The only farming industry that has been assisted in this way is wheat-growing, but the. assistance, given is nothing liko that given to some industries. It is not unreasonable to suggest that wheatgrowing is vital to the country equally as'are'boots, clothes', and other manufactured articles that are' protected. . ."Suppose.that the wheatrgrowera decide not. to go on, it is perfectly certain that there would not be any more cheap wheat and flour from Australia, and New Zealand would be at the mercy of outside markets. My own feeling is that an arrangement can be made under, ,the wheat-grower can get a reasonablo return for, his product, the consumer of bread can buy his loaf at a price cheaper than to-day's roliug- rates,: and . everyone- can bo satisfied. This might entail some of the weaker mills going out, hut with an increased turnover the strong ones would be more prosperous." '.