ARGENTINA MEAT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 112, 4 February 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

ARGENTINA MEAT TRADE

Enormous Freezing Works

PRODUCERS’ RETURNS ARE LOW

Though so greatly blessed as to natural resources, the Argentina meat producers are far from happy about the prices they receive for their stock. Acquaintance with South American conditions leads to Ihe conclusion that New Zealand farmers are being wonderfully well served and fairly treated by meat exporters here. In this Anal and concluding article, based upon Dr. C. I’. McMeehan’s impressions of Argentina, reference is also made to the production of pigs, and to the raising of quality beef bulls.

Argentina fatteners last season 26 cents a kilogramme, live-weight, for their chillers. That price represents 26/- 1001 b., carcase weight, in New Zealand currency. During the same season New Zealand fatteners received 3a/- to 36/- 1001 b. „ .„ . The Argentina beef was of magnificent quality, averaging 23 months of age, perfectly finished and highly-bred- Bought on liveweight at about 11001 b., these young beeves drese out at 54 per cent, to yield a 6001 b. carcase. Our New Zealand cattle average a year older, go nearer 7501 b., have not the same as a rule, and seldom are finished so well. Yet they made 10/- 1001 b. higher price, though New Zealand producers received £ll/10/- to £l2 a beast, the Argentine received about £7/15/- to £B. There is more yet to the tale. Hie beet made fd. lb. above the New Zealand price last season. That meant, 6/o 1001 b. extra value. Adding exchange, that means i/J in New. Zealand currency. Furthermore processing costs in Argentina works must be lower than in New Zealand, becouse of lower wages, and the Loudon freight should be lower, as the distance is but half that from New Zealand. Huge Meat Works. Even the smaller meat works in Argentina appear vast to New Zealand eyes. About each are grouped upward of six subsidiary plants, each one of which. is quite a factory in itself. These comprise cooperages, bacon and ham and sausage factories, tinning works, and so on. There are numerous firms engaged in the trade, but there is much darkness as to the true controllers of many plants and companies. “Works must there have a huge capacity for there are only 17 altogether speaking from memory,” said Dr. McMeekan. I find that New Zealand has o 3 works for less than one-third output Argentina kills about 4.000,000 lambs and as many cattle yearly. At one ot Swifts’ works alone, the biggest there, 400,000 cattle aud 1,218,000 lambs were killed last season. , ~ Handling of by-products is a very bi„ business, thoroughly done. An interesting item concerning this is the tinning ot ewe mutton as “dog food. So classed, it would not meet high duties. Much goes to southern United States ot America, where the negroes have taken to it as an article of diet. It is cheap and quite a good food, the mutton being as good as that on which New Zealanders so largely Meat operators will not buy in the paddock. All stock have to go to central markets. There works buyers pay as the day’s demand and supply determines. It is a very unsatisfactory system for vendor, who may be 100, 200, or even 400, miles distant. Beef Bulls. From the British Shorthorn Journal these notes on stud bull prices in Argentina are given: “The second Joint sale of imported hulls took place m Buenos Aires on September 9, when some aU Shorthorns were offered. . “No high prices were made (the emphasis is ours). “The sold averaged 3549 dollars (this is £22a New Zealand currency). The highest price was 14,500 dollars” (£930, New Zealand). At the close of the account, mention is made of the poorness of the market, and reference is made to a great bulUthat had sold the year before, at 9a,000 dollars (£6OOO, New Zealand). Elsewhere in the journal are photos ot the champion reserve two-year Shorthorn bull and the junior champion, at the Palermo Show. These sold respectively at £2OOO and £lOOO, New Zealand. Both were Argentina-bred, of Scottish sl^ s * Dr. McMeekan confirmed the bnorthorn’s reputed dominance in Argentina. They are the most completely established cattle there, and have, of recent years, been marvellously perfected by Argentina breeders. . This has been achieved by “specialized bull-breeding farms.” where only stud bulls are bred. These supply “camp hullbreeders,” who in turn breed and sell to the beef cattle breeders. For these runbulls. as we term them, an average price of £25 New Zealand is usual for two-year-olds. , The fabulous prices of which we read are paid by the specialized stud-breeders. Till they were established, cattle quality could not be maintained in Argentina. Large-scale, never-ending importation was essential to maintenance of heef quality. Scottish methods were adopted and zealously followed ; even to n ridiculous degree, considering the great climatic differences. No trouble is too great, no

expense too high, in the production of “super” bulls. A most startling sight to Dr. McMeekan was that, of a dozen bulls, rising t.hree-years, sucking cows in lull milk. The cows were overhead on speci-ally-constructed platforms, built into the huge cattle barn. It is not unusual toi bulls of that age, being prepared for showing, to suckle three cows daily. Inis is part of a policy of maintaining stud stock to the highest possible level ot nutrition. . . xr Argentina, with just ten times New Zealand's area, has 33.100.000 beef cattle —a ratio of three cattle beasts lor every four sheep carried. Argentina does not appear prominently. in the international bacon and pork trade. This is because she sacrificed this to hold her beef position on the British market in 1932. But the country has about five times as many pigs as-we have, totalling just under 4.000,000 head. These supply a huge local demand from the high meat-eating population ot 13,000.000 people. Well may we bless our quota ou the Home market; for Dr. McMeekan feels that, were Argentina free of all restrictions on export, she could sweep all other pig-producers "off the board.”