THE HOME MEAT TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4601, 3 July 1917, Page 5

THE HOME MEAT TRADE.

GETI'ING MORE COMPLICATED

Speaking at a meeting in Wanganui, Mr. Poison read the following extract from a letter received by a Wanganui firm interested in tlie meat trade, and of which he is a director. The letter was sent by a large firm in the Old Country:— “The position of the meat trade is becoming still more complicated. The supply of frozen neat is still very limited, and even supplies for the army have been in such restricted position that several steam-

ers have been sent direct to France, where the whole of their frozen meat has been discharged. The quantity released at the present time is only some 30,000 carcases per week. In normal times the trade would require 150,000 per week for this month, 200,000 per week for May, 250,000 to 300,000 per week for June and July, with a diminishing quantity after that. There is,'however, no scarcity of meat ; in fact. ,on th® market for

this week meat is of very slow sale, fresh and chilled meat in many instances having been unsaleable. The prices of foreign meat have dropped over a farthing per pound. Supplies of Home meat are coming on to th© market very quickly, as the Minister for Agriculture has issued , instructions that all stock which is fit for sale must be killed before they are made too fat, and, further, ' that they expect all fat stock shall he killed between now and December. , The reason for this' is assigned from the present high prices of foodstuffs and the fact that a quantity of foodstuffs which is usually feed to cattle, such as pollard, bran, sharps and' other meals, may be useful and necessary for human consumption mixed with the bettor qualities: of flour and ground poro- , als.” f