MEAT EXPORT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20621, 10 August 1932, Page 4

MEAT EXPORT.

BRITAIN WORLD'S MARKET, j BEEF, MUTTON*, LAMB, AND PORK j A statement in regard to the meat | industry, prepared tor the Imperial Economic Conference by the development branch. Prime Minister's Department, and the Department of Commerce, shows that in 1930 world export of beef totalled 719,000 tons, and of mutton and lamb 336,000 tons, making a total of 2,055,000 tons. Great Britain in the same year imported SO per cent. <rf the world export of beef, and 95 per ■sent, of mutton and lamb, or 85 per .tent, of the total world export. The value of Great Britain's imports in 1931 jrcre:—Beef, chilled £20,136,000, and frozen £5,316.000. Mutton and lamb kre valued at £18,257,000, making a total fit £13,739,000. In addition, other beef, pintton, and lamb (chiefly tinned and r.anncd beef) were valued at £I,SGB,OOO. ffbe British market may bo regarded as ktae world market for chilled and frozen Seat exports. Tho consumption of beef, (mutton, and lamb has shown remarkable jregularity, in regard to both tho total fcolume and the relative proportions of Ifeeef and mutton-lamb. In the last few /years, however, the consumption of >matton and lamb has increased slightly jat tie expense of beef. Chilled beef is entirely by South America, (principally the Argentine. Frozen beef m supplied by the Argentine, Australia, bad New Zealand, and frozen mutton fend lamb by New Zealand, tho Argentine, and Australia in that order. Chilled {beef la shown to be the most important Stem, accounting for more than 50 per Wont, of the total. A feature of the EngfUk market during the past few years jhas been the narrowing of the price (margin between English and Argentine Jbeef. The Pig Products, In pig products Great Britain is also |3j« most important market in the world. E.e irfporte of various products, bacon, m, pork; lard, etc., in 1931, amounted to 773,000 tons, valued at £16,090,000. OProzen and chilled port is supplied principally by New Zealand, United States fit America, and the Argentine, with Jiome contribution from Australia in the ftngncifll year 1930-31. Lard and ham are supplied chiefly by the United States. The production of pig meat in Great Britain of all kindMxu*J92o -was i 556,000 tdffis, being about half as much j as the total import of -pig meat in that ; year. It is stated that there had been little change in the annual volume of output. Between 1926 and 1931 tho Volume of imports of bacon increased by » per cent., while the price dropped by 48 per cent. The greater part of those changes took placo in 1930 and 1931. Denmark and the Argentine are Britain's principal meat suppliers—Denmark for bacon to tho value of more Uian £25,000,000 in normal times, and the Argentino for chilled and frozen beef, mutton and lamb to the value of more than £30,000,000 in normal tunes. The maintenance of 'their trade is vital to theee countries. The statement adds: *Tb»T6 are already evidences that they axe anxious to negotiate trade treaties lirith Great Britain, and that Great Britain is disposed to bargain with them Ifor reciprocal arrangements." It is possible that at some future date means of preservation may be evolved which *rffl make it possible to ship green bacon from Australia to England. At present, however, this is impossible. The value of canned meats exported from Australia in 1929-30 was £161,111, and in 1930-31 £116,669. The principal barkefc ia the United Kingdom, followed fey India, whose supply is mostly for military purposes. A certain definite yearly trade is done with the Nether|»d«; East Indies, Fiji, Solomon Island, tPapua, and other small islands in the Pacific." The. value of canned meats of foreign origin imported into the United Kingdom for 1930 was* approximately The value of Australian Sports to tfce United Kingdom in 1926S7 was £207,882, and m 1930-31 !£72,444. ' . K ,