AUSTRALIAN MEAT

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 4, 5 July 1927, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN MEAT

EXPORT TRADE THREATENED

PRICE-CUTTING IN BRITAIN

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

T SYDNEY, 23rd June. Unless steps are taken for its preservation disaster threatens the meat export trade ot Australia. The exporters have suffered a succession of heavy losses without any prospect of improvement -in the near iuture. The position has ibecome so critical that those in the trade who have been able to survive declare that they must eventually retire defeated unless it is realised that a.great export industry is threatened and efforts are made to save it Irom 1920 up to and including the first nino months of 1920-27 the total value of the exports of beef and lamb amimutton trom the Commonwealth amounted In nearly £27,000,000. During the last few years the trade has been carried on at a loss of £3,000,000 to exporters. Many freezing works have closed. Should repeated losses of the remaining exporters continue, the position of stock producers who ivill b e deprived of an overseas market will become grave, and the effect Wt A V ' pritnary Producers through-

The price-cutting war*.in Britain between two factions of the Argentine meat exporters has directly contributed to the tra^° US 't? ltioV °, f lle Australian export trade. Though local exporters are not even remotely interested in the quarrel they were obliged' to suffer by :lowerine heir pnee, to tllose of. the^conflict D f interests^n order to preserve their market. All balance-sheets of local exportine companies have shown losses for tnfpTst three or four years. In addition, laW £n ■ mdustT is subject to union reatHctin f ! u. re ßarf tooutput, 'and' these'have tended to make labour costs high The distance-between Australia and London makes slipping freights higher-than-those to Z Cu er£° mVetitT- due to the tanft on machinery and the' cost citTproSoT Meat exporters now urge that a sub-?-i?r lt h/ ? aid by the Commonwealth until the bad times are tided over* They also are requesting a relaxation, of 'ihe severe inspection, the charges for which are made against them. They are also seeking relief from duties on machinery used m the industry ,dnd from the payment of tdAation. \

One of the Inchest experts in the meat trade is Mr. J. B. Cramsie, who was chairman of the defunct Australian Meat Council and is now chairman of the Metropolitan Meat Industry Board of New bouth. Wales. Commenting on the parlous condition of the export industry, Mr Cramsie said: "The position' appears to me as being much worse than most people think, as with a severe winter and an over-stocked State, we shall have very heavy yardings of sheep.: .These already are heavy enough, and as time goes oil they will probably be increased vj' the limit of our treatment facilities, "lit of yardings of, 110,000 sheep -a: week: it; is likely that 20,000 will be unfit for ** fthW but canning, and. with the' British, 1 canned mutton market slack, it is likely that only low prices will be obtained. The situation needs the immediate- and serious consideration of the various •association! representing the man on the landvto prevent what may be a total collapse." •<