COMMERCE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20272, 25 June 1931, Page 10

COMMERCE.

FREEZING WORKS. CLOSING DATES APPROACHING. GOOD SEASON EXPERIENCED. Three of the freezing works in Canterbury—the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd. (Islington), Canterbury Frozen Meat Co., Ltd. (Jiellast), and Thomas Bortliwick and Sons, Ltd. (Belfast) —will close for the season 011 July •iiu. This decision was reached yesterday. The North Canterbury Sheepir.riuers' Co-operative Freezing Co., Ltd. (Kaiapoi), will close on June 27th, and the southern works, at Timaru and Oamaru, will close to-dny. In the.ease of tho Belfast and Islington works, the closing date this year is about a fortnight ahead of last year Mr H. S. E. Turner, of tho New Zear land Refrigerating Co., Ltd., stated last evening that tho companies were not always masters of the situation in that they had to suit their closing dates to weather conditions and the effect on stock. During the autumn and early winter the weather was exceptionally fine and tho stock fattened well and had continued to do so up to tho very recent break. Tho season has been a good'fattening one generally, with the result that last year's record output of lamb has been exceeded. Due to a stagnant market for mutton in the early stages of the season, particularly in regard to ewes, the production of mutton showed a decline. A considerable amount of leeway was made up, however, in the last few weeks, but even so there was a decrease in the quantity of mutton produced this year.