Bulk Exports Of Tallow Planned

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 15

Bulk Exports Of Tallow Planned

Freezing companies in Canterbury are preparing to install the necessary equipment for the bulk export of tallow. A trial shipment left from Timaru in January. Two companies expect to be ready to send shipments within two months’ from Lyttelton and Timaru.

One firm, Canterbury ByeProducts, Ltd., yesterday decided to place a contract for the installation of a 250-ton storage tank at Sockburn. Negotiations are being carried on with several carrying companies for a cartage contract.

Yesterday the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority <Mr J. S. Haywood), granted British Pavements (Canterbury), Ltd., an amendment to a continuous goods service licence extending six vehicle authorities to carry fats in heated and insulated containers in the No. 9 district. Several other carrying firms with suitable tankers are also interested in obtaining contracts with freezing companies. The New Zealand Railways Department has called tenders for the special waggons needed to transport the tallow alt a specified temperature. Reports Awaited

The first South Island shipment of bulk tallow was sent from Timaru by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd. The manager, Mr R. D. Iles said the company was waiting for reports on the condition of the shipment—chemical changes, if

any. which could affect the bleaching quality of tallow, or the titre —before placing an order for the erection of a 100-ton storage tank at Pareora.

The shipment is due to arrive in Britain during the first week in April. The second shipment should be ready for export about the middle of May, he said. The companies agreed that the trend was towards bulk tallow shipments. The present low prices for tallow on the world market (about £4O a ton compared with about £7O a few years ago) and the high cost of drums made it more economical to export in bulk. The saving would be about £2 to' £3 a ton. The general manager of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Lid. (Mr W. M. Cleland) said his firm had already installed equipment in Wanganui. Plants in Dunedin and Timaru would follow. Finally equipment would be installed at Islington. Tanks holding between 20 to 25 tons would be built. It would depend on the buyer just what would result from New Zealand’s experiments with bulk export, he said. “The buyers’ wants will determine the size of the tanks which the shipping companies install in their freighters. At the moment very few ships have the necessary equipment.” In New Zealand there were certain transport problems to be solved before his company would be prepared to make further advances, Mr Cleland said, confident, however, that most of New Zealand's inedible tallow would be exported in bulk. Mr T. C. H. Miller, the South Island manager of Thomas Borthwick, Ltd., said his firm was interested in the trend.

Spokesmen for the companies agreed that it would be necessary to provide both bulk and drums. Some buyers, especially certain Asian countries, preferred drums so that they could use the metal.