NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

Evening Star, Issue 12866, 16 July 1906, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND MEAT.

A FALLING-OFF IN QUALITY. INTERVIEW WITH MR GILBERT ANDERSON. [From Oub Special Correspondent.! LONDON, June 9. Mr Gilbert Anderson, who left New Zealand after a severe attack of pleurisy, came Home by the Coxinthic on her latest voyage. The vessel made a very good passage, and Mr Anderson has greatly benefited in health. As director of the Christchurch Meat Company he will remain here for some considerable time, giving special attention to Lis company’s business aud the frozen meat trade generally.

Mr Anderson says that so far as demand is concerned it is thoroughly satisfactory, though up to the end of March there were 60 000 more sheep and 540,000 more lambs sent than last year These have gone rapidly into consumption, and in his opinion very little is held in 'store. As regards prices, he does not think that they are so good as might have been obtained. Tlie Smithfield salesmen are prepared, all things being equal, to pay something like 5d as a basis for prime Canterbury. That a higher range of prices has not teen obtained this year is solely on account of the number of consignments and of these bring in the hands of many sellers. “There is no doubt,” says -Mr Anderson, “ that if New Zealand farmers are to obtain the full advantage of this business it will be by confining the operations of selling in the hands of a fewer, number.”

Asked with regard to quality, Mr Anderson says ho does not consider the quality this year was equal bo the previous season's. There is no doubt that a. considerable amount of meat )s included in the prime grades which should not be there, and has had the effect of lowering the prices. Considering the strong competition which is coming from Australia, it M highly important tliat the meat sent from New Zealand should bo very carefully graded and only what Ls really prime and yrell finished be ticketed as such. In the tkiuth Island, and especially Canterbury the lambs are much coarser than they were' formerly. There is a great absence of the neat meaty carcass of former years. There is every indication that the farmer is breeding from coarse ewes, and using Border Leicester rams instead of h-ngliah Lcicesters and Downs, The result is that there are more comp'aims ..rm.° Ur - meat bein S too fat and wasteful. Plus as noticed in the lambs, and more particularly m the sheep, and it is absolutely iniperative, says Mr Anderson, “that this should be very ipeedily altered. Otherwise we shall have the River Plate and Australian meat beating ours in price. “ On the market at the present tune River Plato mutton is realising higher prices than most of the brands of the North Island, and although at is not pleasant to admit it one must candidly state that it.ver Plate meat hja s been steadily improving, and they are now sending to this market carcasses of mutton with utile or no waste, having any quantity of lean right throughout. A decent chop can be cut off any of the River Plat* sheep without waste, while one has to state with regret that a great many of the New Zealand sheep —and even Canterbury sheep—as mu oil as thirty per cent., are nothing but fat. “If the farmers cannot get a supply of Merino ewes to breed from they could* certamiy get the same result by using the Down or the Enghsh fxncester, and it is most importanr. that this should bo thoroughly looked into. It is not wise to count on the price ol wool helping the farmer out in fiurre yea-s as it has helped with the price of his freezing sheep ar.d lambs this year: and therefore he should pay more attention to the quality o'’ his meat, winch, after all, is the main stand-by of the New Zealand fanner.” In regard to the prospects for next year Mr Anderson states that it is reported tliat there will be very large shipmens from Australia some estimating the number of carcasses of lamb at as many as two millions, while a considerable quantity of mutton will also be shipped. There does not seem to be a prospect of any great increase from the Argentine but what the Argentine is sending ie of mort excellent quality. The’Argentine beef on the market is also of good quality, though hj. does not compare in quality with New Zealand beef. If only the difficulties of carrying chilled beef from New Zealand could be over” oome, there Ls no doubt that in the North Island and Otago it -would pay tho farmer well to grow beef.