AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 134, 3 December 1910, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

FROZEN MEAT EXPORT TRADE. The position regarding the frozen meat export trade- iv Australia at the moment may bo summed up in two words — busy and buoyant (6ays the Pastoralists' Review). November has always boon month for large shipments, but this year promises to break all records. It is estimated that the exports of lamb and mutton will be between 800,000 and 1,000,000 carcases, and they may exceed tho latter figures. This is a tremendous quantity for a country as large even as Australia to despatch in thirty days. The shipments for December and January will probably aggregate another 900.000 carcases. Practically the whole of this meat will go lo Great Britain, which country will in addition receive over 250,000 carcases monthly from .South America and New Zealand. It is such figures ac these that help one to realise the tremendous consuming power of Uie Home market. Reverting to Australia again, the trade here is buoyant, and the outlook, apart from beef, hopeful. Growers are receiving a very fair price for their stock. Roughly, lambs this year are fetching 2s lo 3s per head more than last, which indicates that exporters expect higher rates to rule in London. The weak spot in tho trade at present is beef. Those most competent to judge, i.e., the exporters, point out that the quality of cattle in Australia is, it not actually deteriorating, at all events not improving, and that is allowing South American beef to get ahead of Australian. For years past South American cstancieros have been importing high-priced bulls to improve then herds, while Australians have for the most part been content to go on raising cheaper grades. The champion butter-fat competition li^ld in conection witb> the recent Egmont A. and P Show caused much interest. The conditions were that the cows had to be in the possession ofjtne society for nine days, and the butter-fat test was made on the last four days. Points were awarded as follows:— One-tenth of a poi»t for every pound of milk in the fpur days, and 25 points for every pound of butter-fat produoed. The winner, Ambury and Nowell's Polly, gave from 26 to 28ilb of milk at each milking, with a total "of 2Hilb, butter-fat 8.77, and the total points 24-0.7. R,. D Harkness's entry ranged from 19 to" 231b, total 169, and butter-fat 8.45. The third prize-winner, h\ W. Hammond's Violet, varied from 131b to 301b, total 1811b, butter-fat 8.32, total points 226 1. "W. I. Lovelock's entry was fourth with the biggest milk yield of the competition, 2621b, butter-fat 7.86, and points 222.7. Fifth place was occupied by Newton King's entry, the second highest milk producer, with 255£1b, butter-fat 7.65, and the result of 216.8 points. An English country journal, referring to the mobt marketable tjpe of frozen mutton carcase to ship, says:— "Fifty years ago the fattest and biggest sheep was ever considered the best, but in those dayß the appetite for cold meat seeniß to have been much greater than it is to-day, when the householder wants a. small joint that can be practically consumed at a single meal." The English correspondent of the Paatorahsts' Review says :— "All departments but one of the stock industry are fairly prosperous and promising; the exception is the fat mutton trade. A Sussex breeder says that the price of mutton hangs like a blaok cloud over the sheep trade. The explanation, of course, is the heavy and increasing imports of frozen mutton and lamb. What else could happen when the British sheepfarmor is confronted with the import for the three-quarters of the year of over 10,000,000 carcases of ovine animals from South America and Australasia?" "A.W.P.," in the Pastoralists 1 Review, mentions the following as things that have struck him:— That the price of land in many parts of New Zealand is absolutely ridiculous, and the man who buys it, and (in italics) pays for it, will never see 1 per cent, by working it. He may nnd someone to give him a profit on his purchase, but the man who will fall in will be the man who holds the baby when the price of produce falls. Jhat it seems curious that a farmer oan get £15 an acre for land in New Zealand, breed fat lambs, send them to freezing works, fatten a few caftle, make 10 per cent, clear profit, and yet the farmer in Great Britain cannot make ends meet. That the British farmer is alongside his market, and the New Zealander is 12,000 miles away; that the British farmer gets better labour, has much cheaper and better machinery, and apparently has everything in his favour, and that it is curious he is not hiirhlv prosperous. b ' In a, test undertaken some years ago for the British War Office, Professor James Long worked out the following results from English, Scotch, New Zealand, Australian, and Argentine legs of mutton :— lSutntive matter: Scotch, 45.1 per S8 1 ?! -■•" A Ne . W , Zeala , nt l; 4L9 ' Shropshire, 40.7; Australian, 37.2; Argentine, 38.8 Hampshire Downs, 35,6. System is everything in the successful dan >- J- hlB certainly obtains at the Eastview Farm Dairy, Croydon (South Australia), where Mr. A. W. Shillabeer has managed a herd for more than twenty-five years. Cleanliness in methods is insisted upon, and as a result the milk sheds and yards are kept in a commendably "sweet" condition. Aot the least interesting feature of the cowshed is the device designed by Mr. Shillabeer, which permits of each batch of cows being released from the bails simultaneously. The plan of the shed allows plenty of room between each row of stalls, so that drainage is more effective. The feed-boxes are fitted with high backs, so that little food is tossed out of them— a thing which often happens where shallow mangers are provided. This prevents any undue waste When the Scottish Agricultural Commiesjoners visited the New South Wales Government farm at Berry, a cow of great type, Calm 11., bred on the farm, was mach admired. Mr. Dunlop, who is lecturer and demonstrator of live stock to the West of Scotland Agricultural College, declared that she was a better cow that the one he, as judge, had placed nrst at the Royal Show iv England. He enquired of the manager what price this cow would bring in New South Wales. The reply was £250 to £300. Mr Dunlop remarked that it was evident the value of Guernseys of this class was not known in the State. This particular animal would, he said, bring 1000 guineas in Jingland, as she was superior to the Royal winner, for which that sum wae refused. A London correspondent of an Australian paper says:— "The first lot of Argentine frozen meat fixed up for Jewish consumption arrived three weeks ago. I understand that the Jewish authorities have given to Messrs. [lorwitz and AbrauT Q mr T V ears ' contract for kosher heat. This firm has contracted with the River Plate F.M Company for supplies They must be able to look ahead for a continuous import, as the trade is likely wif T y he V y ,; , The retail Jew i*h butchers have rebelled against this 'monopoly, as they call it. I think that Ausrnha or New Zealand shomd have a oolc in. According to the Jewish regu-. lations, .fresh-killed meat must be immersed in water for half an hour, taken out, sprinkled with salt, and allowed to remain so tor one hour, and then washed, before it can be eaten, and the process of immersion in water must take place within three days of the killing of the bullock. This frozen Argentine koshered ordeal "' successfully through the frl?o one ta " lfc a .S ain '" remarks an Australian paper, in quoting the follow infrom a London firm: -"Since our latTt report many more New Zealand lnndquaiters have been found to be affected with bone taint. 4 This is becoming a most serious mat er, and prompt measure! should be taken to prevent this evil. Australian shippers have taken our advice, and now put two wraps on their beof (one white the other brown), consequently their beef generally arrives in i« w a £ d ea ??, r condition than that from New Zealand. •