LAMB, MUTTON, AND BEEF.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 8

LAMB, MUTTON, AND BEEF.

PRODUCTION AND TRADE REVIEWED. Interesting references to the London ■ meat market and New Zealand's meat, export trado were mado at Carterton yesterday, during tho annual meeting of tho Wairarapa and East Coast P. and A. Society. Tho president (Mr. W. Howard Booth) opened tho subject, remarking that lamb and mutton were not as high in tho market at Homo as they mig'bt be. Mr. Booth attributed tho fact to the great increase of shipments. Ho said ho felt suro that the future of tho market would bo good, as tho consumers were increasing, and tho production was not. Ho was in that statement not alluding to Australasia alone, but to 'tho whole world, as it was a fact that sheep all over tho world had considerably decreased during the last few years. Beef had been fetching a good price on the English markets, 'ana that had had a good effect upon the prices obtainablo for prices of fat /bullocks out here, so much so that it '•was anticipated that' before long beef would be worth 30s. or more a cwt. ISo thoso having fat cattle for sale were .to be congratulated. Ho was not sure ithat this state of affairs should bo regarded as fortunato for tho community, las no article, of food should get /in prico a3 to lessen tho consumption. j So far as this season had progressed, 'there wero considerable bcreases in the sheep and lamb exports, notwithstanding the dry spell, and tho quantijties wero likely to be further augmented '■by shipments from tho South Island. It is regrettable, continued Mr. 'Booth, that a. moro stable condition of 'values cannot be achieved. This sea\son, which opened with considerable '.promise, has, whatever may bo tho actual cause; steadily receded, and it may ;be accepted that speculators in both mutton and lamb, as well as shippers on their own account, will hayo had a seriously disappointing experience. [ Mr.' Booth then quoted the following jfigures as the mutton exports for the jyear ending March 31, 1911, with tho figures (carcasses) for tho nest. best jyear :— i , 1911. 1909. INew Zealand 2,151,000' 1,869,000 [Australia • 2,576,000 1,157,000 (Argentine ..'. 3,011,000 . 3.470,000 '■ The figures for lamb (carcasses) were: 1911. 1910. . [Now Zealand 3,834,000 3,155,0D0 Australia 1,748,000 1,199,000 Argentine _. 661,000 . 425,000 The beef (quarters) were stated thus: 1911. . 1910. £New Zealand 360,000 304,000 [Australia ..._ 495,000 . 305,000 ... 3,243,000 ' 2,659,000 The figures showed an increase for this year over the next highest year of 12,706,000 carcasses of mutton and ilamb, and 830,000 quarters of beef. :After quotirsg other figures covering a .number of years, Mr. Booth said that, taking the" three countries for tho months of January, February, and March, tho past year's figures had easily eclipsed all previous records. Respecting the three months ended March 31, 1911, the mutton excess over the same period in 1910 was 156,000 carcasses, and the Jamb excess 580,000 carcasses.. ■ -.i,/-, Mf.\V:C Buchanan, M.P., said that tho thought had struck him on hearing the multitudo of figures quoted by Mr. Booth that was wonderful that ono littlo country could have swallowed. the lot—the. Mother Country. Tho reason of tho high price of he'ef in New Zealand was that during tho early portion of tho season tho weather was good tho usual shipments of beef had been sent forward in the ■usual way, but tho clerk of tho weather soon interfered, and now the local .markets were threatened with a scarcity. It was'regrettable that tho prico of ]amb and mutton, had dropped in England. Happy was it for the dairy farmers that for years tho prico of dairy produce, liad maintained a good level. , Wool had jumped up and down, nut dairying had kept its level. That was , very satisfactory, and as it ought to be. The dairy industry was of very great importance to the Dominion, and •was the premier industry in tho respect that it gave employment to tho (largest number of people.