CHILLED BEEF

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1933, Page 3

CHILLED BEEF

SHIPMENT FROM DOMINION

NEXT WEEK'S EXPERIMENT

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") MASTERTON, This Day. Plans for the experimental shipment of chilled beef, to be made early next month by Messrs. T:, Borthwick and Sons, have now taken definite shape, and killing operations -will commence at the Waingawa works next Monday. While full stress is laid on the fact that the shipment is purely in the nature of an experiment, and that there are many technical and other difficulties to be overcome, considerable importance attaches to the enterprise. Should it prove successful, competent observers envisage a new aiid profitable development of the Dominion's beef industry. An inspection of the Commonwealth and Dominion Line's Port Fairy, which is due to leave Wellington on 3rd February with its noteworthy cargo, waa made last week by Mr. P. J. Borthwick, a director of Messrs. T. Borthwick: and Sons, accompanied by the firm's supervising engineer (Mr. G. E. Cr'oll). Important matters, such as storage, temperatures, etc., were fully discussed with the ship's chief engineer, and arrangements practically completed. The line has) already had experience in the handling of chilled beef, ,and it was' the Port Fairy that carried a recent successful shipment, frdm Australia to London. . ' The beef will be drawn entirely from the Wairarapa district, r the type here being considered particularly suited : for j the experiment. The consignment will consist of 550 to 600 hindquarters, and only a few fore-quarters may be sent to ensure good storage for the hind-quarters. Mr. Borthwick stated at. a meeting of the A. and P. Association, that if the chilled beef trade did come to New Zealand, and he hoped it would, the demand would be for hind-quarters. From, a marketable point of view at Home, "he added, there was little difference in the price between chilled and frozen forequarters/ ' ■ ■ '" THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE. Touching on the all-important question of the actual chilling, Mr. Borthwick said that it was necessary to get the bone temperature 'of'the quarters down to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and to do this, it was considered, .would take about forty' hours. It. was then• necessary, to hold the quarters at about' 33"degrees Fahrenheit until they were actually loaded out: Contrary to general opinion, it was possible to carry out the chilling at the Waingawa works, although this; would not be sufficient for permanent chilling. "If the' shipment proves satisfactory and the trade is worked up,' 'observed Mr.. Borthwick,' "we will install a proper and comprehensive equipment j but, first of all, we have got to satisfy ourselves that chilling can be commerci. lly satisfactory, and that the accommodation on the boats can be secured at a satisfactory rate."

,' Unlike frozen beef, chilled beef, cannot be stacked for export, but has to be hung on rails, and it is most important that the individual quarters do not come into contact with one another. . This fact brings* out the increased freight on chilled as compared with frozen beef. Details of the freightage on chilled beef from. New Zealand to England are not available, but it is interesting to note that the present freight on chilled meat from Australia to the United Kingdom, is 1 5-8 d a pound, as compared with 5-Sd a pound from South Africa and South America. It has also to be remembered, of course, that chilled beef stows 105 cubic feet to the ton, as against 85 cubic feet to the ton in the case of frozen beef. In connection with the recent Australian shipment, hinds averaged on the London market VAd a pound above the nominal price for Australian frozen beef. THE PRINCIPAL DEMAND.

■ The principal demand in this'section of the export trade, said Mr. Borthwick, was for hind-quarters, averaging from about 1601b to 1801b. It was essential that the beef should be young and small, the type particularly required : being good prime beef weighing from. 6501b to 7501b. Questioned regarding the suitability of New Zealand beef for ' the trade, Mr. Borthwick said that one of the principal objecte of the -shipment was to give the Dominion farmers an idea of what was wanted. "If we show the farmer exactly what we want," he added, "he can breed it." Once the New Zealand farmer was helped, Mr. Borthwick considered that he would be able to produce beef suitable for chilling. At the present time, he con- | tmued,, beef in New Zealand was chiefly a by-product,to sheep and lambs, but if a trade for chilled beef was worked up the former would have to produce beef for beef's sake, as.well as keeping his country in good order for his sheep and lambs. Even if ships were available, Mr. Borthwick did not .think that sufficient supplies would be offering to warrant weekly shipments. Fortnightly shipments seemed quite feasible.

The firm was grateful to the Railways Department, the C. and D. Line, and the Meat Board for assistance in connection with the experiment, which, concluded Mr. Borthwick, "is an experiment in actual chilling and an experiment to try and help the farmer."