CHILLED BEEF

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 110, 3 February 1938, Page 17

CHILLED BEEF

New Zealand Display At Smithfield RAPID PROGRESS MADE New Zealand chilled beef is now so well established as a feature of the Dominion’s meat exports that it has come into .line with lamb in providing at the great Smithfield market a distinctive display which can be confidently submitted tor judging by the representatives of the meat import trade. Their report on a recent display of this, kind, which has been received by the New Zealand Meat Producers Board, contains valuable suggestions for meeting the requirements, of the English trade, and includes the following encouraging statement regarding the position already reached in this respect by iNew Zealand producers:— •'As a whole, we consider the exhibit a very nice lot of beef, consisting of quar- . ters generally very suitable for the London trade, except that in a general way some exhibits were on the heavy side. Nevertheless, we consider this collection of chilled beef probably the best that has been seen on this market from New Zealand. Practically all individual quarters carried a wealth of meat with the external fat uniform.” To secure so excellent a verdict after only a short experience of this phase of export meat production reflects considerable credit on the beef breeders of New Zealand, and Ttlso on those responsible for the preparation and shipment of the careases. It was only as recently as February, 1033, that an experimental shipment of 474 quarters of chilled beef was made from the Dominion to Smithfield. » Facilities for Trade Improve. The possibilities of this trade were quickly recognised. A number of freezing companies'made considerable capital expenditure in equipping their works with the most modern methods of treating chilled beef; the shipping companies promptly commenced to provide the special gas-tight cool chambers required for chilled beef, and the Railways Department built refrigerated wagons suitable for the quick and safe handling of the meat from works to overseas vessels. Exports of chilled beef expanded with remarkable rapidity, as will be seen from the following details of the seasonal totals:— .

The success of its export lamb competitions prompted the Meat Producers Board to give support to a competition for chilled beef at the Royal Show for judging on the hooks in New Zealand. The entries for the export class at the Royal Show were ehipped to London, and finally judged while displayed at Smithfield by Messrs. W. C. Fisk (W. Weddel and Co.), J. Hamilton (Hayes and Paine), and W. H. Bates (Powell and Wootton). . . Their report, a portion of which is quoted earlier, showed that except for some of the exhibits being too heavy for retail butchers’ requirements, they considered the beef of very high quality. In two instances they noted that, the weights were more than 8001 b., and in one case 8-lSlb., which, they state, is much ; oo heavy for this trade. In their detailed comment on the pens the judges selected for first place pen No. 1 (weights 660 b. and 6381 b.), remarking:— Two nicelybalanced bullocks, full fleshed and eminently suitable for Smithfield requirements Weights ideal, email in bone, and 'with texture of'flesh of that nice ripe colour so pleasing to buyers. Internal fat not excessive, and- -disposition ot external fat.proportionate to, wealth ot meat each quarter contained.

Season. 1933-34 ..... •■’Quarters, 19,576 1934-35 64,514 1935-36 144,169 1936-37 201,105