THE MEAT MARKET

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1923, Page 8

THE MEAT MARKET

THE BOARD'S ADVICE

Mr. J. Fraser, general manager of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, who recently visited South America, in a letter to the board stresses the importance of keeping up the quality of our frozen meat, particularly lamb.

'It is a better proposition for a farmer to produce high quality mutton of medium weight than sheep running up to, say, 751b (he writes). In years gone by the difference on Smithfield in value between good quality light sheep was a matter of farthings—to-day there is a difference of pence per lb. so insistent is the demand for light sheep of good quality. "To-day a 651b wether of prime quality would realise on Smithfield about B£d per lb, equal to 38s lid per head; whereas a heavy wether weighing, say, 751b, would realise about 6id per lb, equal to 40s 7d per head. "But, in addition to this, we must take into consideration the respective cost of placing these sheep on the Smithfield market, including killing, freezing, freight, and London charges. On a 551b wether at, say, 2§d, equal 12s 7d; on a 751b wether at, say, 2|d, equal 17s 2d ; On these figures based on Smithfield prices, a 551b wether works out at about 2s lid more than a 751b. Besides this loss the reputation of our n*?at is not improved by sending along heavy mutton of indifferent quality. _ "The same applies to beef. There is a demand for a limited amount of heavy beof, provided-it is of prime quality, but what the London market wants are .bullocks weighing from, say, 7001b to 8001b, of prime quality, and not too old.

*, noticed whilst at the Argentine that buyers there are not keen for heavyweight cattle. American packers in South America watch very closely the condition of both the London and Continental market, and send along suitable beef to meet the requirements of each market.

The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has taken over the supervision of the grading of all meat exported from the Dominion, which has resulted m a more uniform standard of grading in the different districts of our Doi^inlon, but the board must have the cooperation of all breeders to see that our quality is improved."