Frozen Meat Market.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 214, 10 March 1898, Page 2

Frozen Meat Market.

Messrs Weddel and Co., under date London, January 21, in their produce circular in dealing with the market for frozen meat says : —Trade in all descriptions of Home-fed and frozen meats has been far from good during the past fortnight and in many instances values are lower. The unseasonable weather still prevails. Home-fed sheep are lower by id per lb, Scotch mutton selling at 6 jd to 6:} d per lb and English 6d to 6|d per lb. Only a few Dutch sheep have been on offer, and for these 4;} dto s£d per lb has been made. Argentines have been fairly plentiful and the best of them have been selling at J3d per lb. Generally speaking there lias been little or no life in the mutton trade. The beef trade has been a little more encouraging. States and Argentine bullocks have been in full supply at Deptford, but although the demand has not been brisk, higher prices have ruled at Smithfield than during the previous fortnight. Bides of best States cattle may be quoted at 4§d to 4/, d per lb, and Argentines 4d to 4Sd. The num ber of quarters of American chilled beef pitched during the fortnight has been about the average, and although agents complain of the lack of trade, values show a small advance. Trade in frozen mutton has not been at all good for anything except small Canterburys, which continue firm. Other sorts are inclined to be weaker, particularly heavy sheep, for which there is a very limited demand. Australians are lower by -J-d to £d per lb. Frozen beef has been quiet at lower rates. The total weight of frozen meat of all kinds sold on Smithfield market during the week ending Bth January was 1351 tons, and during the week ending loth January 1518 tons, quantities which represent above an average volume of

sales.

Trade for New Zealand mutton continues quiet all round and values are hardly so firm as they were a fortnight ago. In order to increase the sale of heavy carcases (over TOlbs) holders are going on at lower rates, but even the reduction in prices does not seem to augment the consumption to any noticeable extent. Values of small and medium weight sheep continue firm, not so much because of improvement in the demand, but rather from the fact of supplies being relatively short.

Taken as a whole the New Zealand lambs are by no means prime, some the lots being particularly plain and " poverty stricken," though other lines are quite up to last year's standard.