HOW MUCH MEAT?

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 130, 6 June 1929, Page 13

HOW MUCH MEAT?

BEEF COMES FIRST

WHA* «THE CITY EATS

How much, meat floes Wellington sit down, to each year, how much mutton and how much beefl Fignres given by the manager, of the city abattoirs, Mr. P. Wilkin, for the twelve months ended 31st March last, with the average figures for the five years 1924 to 1928 shown in parentheses, of abattoir killings are .as'follow:—Cows, 3939 (3139) j bulls, 1 (4); oxen, 8540 (8309); sheep, 73,651 (64,317); lambs, 17,636 (16,817);' pigs, 1671 (1119); and calves, 1370 (3942). / ; .. '. : ■ To the above 1928-29 figures are to added those, of animals killed in freezing works for local consumption,, giving the following totals; Cattle, 20,315: sheep, 125,970;- lambs, 30,500; pigs, .7744, and calves, 2602. v ■ Taking the- cattle at an all-round? weight of 700 pounds; which is on the Hght side, the sheep at 601b and lambs at 351b, which latter weights are on the heavy side, Wellington eats very much more beef. than mutton and lamb. Last year the' demand was for about fourteen million pounds. Of beef and a mere eight and' a half- million pounds of mutton and lamb.' In that iorm the figures mean not very.much except a lot : of beef and mutton and lamb, but when those millions of pounds are divided up at dinner tables, the individual shares do not look nearly so startling. The average' person, counting in the youngsters as well as the adults, sat down to "jiiat about 1301b of beef and to rather under 801b of mutton and lamb during the twelve months. More figuring would give an idea of the family meat. allowance per meal, but would not carry much further the argument that Wellington people do eat very much more beef than mutton.