Limited Scope For Air Freight Of Meat

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29916, 1 September 1962, Page 6

Limited Scope For Air Freight Of Meat

QCOPE for air freighting of fresh meat from New Zealand to overseas markets is strictly limited, according to Christchurch export meat trade representatives who were consulted on this question this week There would seem to be fairly* general agreement with the view recently expressed by the chairman of the Meat Board. Mr J D. Ormond, that it would be wrong for anyone to conclude that the country is on the verge of a huge air-freighting era for meat So far as could be ascertained this week, no meat has yet been air freighted from Christchurch to overseas destinations, but meat is being carried from Wellington and Auckland to Australia and the East and an experimental fresh meat cargo has also been successfully carried by air to England.

The feeling seems to be that the movement of meat by air is limited by the availability of markets that will be prepared to pay the extra charges involved One market that could conceivably meet these charges is the United States, but the Meat Board in its capacity as controller of meat exports by air to that market has indicated that no meat is being flown there.

In the Asian and Eastern markets, to which New Zealand will be giving increas-

ing attention, the emphasis for some time will be on mutton and cheaper classes of meat, which will have to be delivered by the cheapest possible means to ensure their sale at a price that these markets can afford There may. however, be limited markets for high-quality fresh meat for the wealthier section of the population in Hong Kong the hotel trades in centres such as Hong Kong and Singapore and military personnel in Malaya. These are not the sort of outlets, however, that will materially affect the course of New Zealand's meet trading. High Price It was mentioned by one organisation that the cost of air freighting steak to Singaport was about 3s 6d per Lb. This would be about equivalent to the cost of t<he meat and with margins added would put in the high, price bracket. There is, however, some evidence that there could be more scope tor movement of meat between New’ Zealand airports and Australia, and some inquiries have been made for tihis sort of service. Fresh meat cooled after killing could be delivered across the Tasman only four hours after leaving New Zealand. According to figures issued by the interdepartmental air freight development committee the cost of freighting meat from Auckland. Wellington and Christchurch to Sydney is about 5Jd per lb. Already meat is moved about Australia by air over distances similar to the Tasman crossing and some meat interests see this as the best hope for air freighting of meat, with a steadily growing population across the Tasman with a standard of living capable of absorbing the costs. Of the ability of air transport to deliver fresh meat

satisfactorily packed to overseas markets quickly there is little doubt. At a meeting in Christchurch sponsored by the Meat Boardunder the chairmanship of Mr A. B. Baker, when exporters were acquainted with freight rates and the.facilities available, it was reported that meat loaded in Auckland in the morning after cooling to 34 or 35 degrees had been landed in Singapore the same evening and offered for sale the following day. Lamb and beef cuts sealed in plastic envelopes have also been sent from Auckland to England by air. At the same meeting Lt was stated that the British Overseas Airways Corporation had under - construction an aircraift that would carry meat at a predetermined temperature on hops of 4000 miles. In a flight to England fluctuations in temperature would be no more than four degrees. In addition to the obvious advantage of delivering a fresh commodity at speed, advantages of air transport are said to include reduced handling and insurance costs and also less pressure on storage.

In the initial stages of development of air freighting of meat it is emphasised that space is available and airlines are offering special commodity rates well below ordinary commercial rates. As the trade grows, as it is hoped it will, the availability of new aircraft and equipment will cater for this. With meat, for instance, being airfreighted to Australia it is pointed out that with the commodity being delivered to the aircraft at point of embarkation and collected again on the other side of the Tasman, costs over and above the freight rate would be very small, and that with a high quality meat product the extra charge that would have to be added on the other side of the Tasman to cover the extra freight would, on a per lb basis, be virtually negligible.