AUSTRALIAN MEAT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 778, 30 March 1910, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN MEAT TRADE.

PRESENT POSITION. In its meat trade article for March tho "Pastoralists' Review" says that limited to moderate supplies of mutton, according to local conditions, were treated. at tho various New South Wales and Victorian works last month, while the Southern Queensland works have also been ;; busy, with sheep and small lines of beef. . With lambs little has been done, and the season .is to all intents' and purposes finished. Early in March copious rains ivere recorded over -nearly the whole'of the Commonwealth, which, as they have come just at the. right. time, should do much to assure .winter feed and make ' next lambing comfortable.'' Theimmediate effectof'the rains ' lias been ; to. put up' tho values of live 'stock. At the moment exporters are unable to buy sheep in the markets at a profitable level, and unless they have contracts to fill, are not operating. The clearances to Great Britain : last month were 238,000 carcasses mutton, 54,000 ■ carcasses, lamb. The output for March will probably bo about 200,000 sheep and 40.000 lambs. The beef season in Queensland is just. commencing under, from a climatic point of view, at least, favourable. conditions. We hear that most of . the works have their buyers out, and some fair lines of cattle have been bought. In most cases the works north of Brisbane open this or next week, and .they one and all anticipate a longer season than they have enjoyed for some years past. ; As to whether, their. hopes will' bo realised time alone can-show, so much depends on; the market at Smithfield and local prices of live stock. ■ , The second shipment of chilled beef from Brisbane, has so far been successful. Jiigt before going to'press. John Cooke and Co. received a cablegram from South Africa saying ■ that tho' Marathon; had passed Durban; and reported that the condition' df. the meat .was then satisfactory. - '.