FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 7870, 4 January 1904, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

AN INTERESTING CHAT. Mr JohD Cookd, the managing director of the Austral Freezing Works, returntd 10 Victoria last week, in the Miltiadea, after an absence of eighteen months. When, interviewed by an Argua representative," Mr Gooke hud much of interest to reiate in regard to the frozen meat industry, aud ttie conditions of production in Argentine- and South Africa. "When I left Melbourne, early last year," said Me Cooke, '• I expected 10 return in seven or eight months, but the severity of tho drought interfered so terribly with my sources of supply iv Australia that I was compelled to go to South America, in order to fulfil my frozen meat contracts. 1 have covered a great deal of ground during the past eighteen months, having been all over the United Kingdom and the Continent, and made an important tour through the Argentine Republic, aud shorter visits to the chief cities of Brazil and bouth Africa." How did you find tho frozen meat trade in Great Britain ?" " It is now almost as great a factor in her food bupply as foreign and colonial wheat, and its SLoppage or curtailment would be a heavy blow to all classes of thu coiatnuniiy. Hucsia aud Rouuiauia are very keen to begin the shipment of irozen und chilled beef to Euglaod, aod several projects for erecting freezing j works in those countries are now under consideration. By the way, Russia is going to take a very big hand in the export of butier, and cold storage, on an extensive scale, lias been erected under London auspices, at such ports as Riga, with this objtct." What did you think of the Argentine ? " My visit was of a business character, being mainly to commeuce the erection of freezing works at the port of La Plata. These works are being erected by Australian contractors, from the design of Mr Frank Ooxon, of Sidney, while tbe practical management has been entrusted to Australian experts. The works have a daily capacity of 400 bead cattle and 3000 sheep, and are being erected on the Grand Dock, on a Government concession of 40 acres. Tbe freezing biock is within 30 feet oE the steamer's bold, and the works are connected by rail wiih all parts of tbe republic. Freezing operations will begin on Ist February, and I hope that the bulk of the output will find its way to England. Argentina has a vast extent of pas/oral lands and a large annual inorease in cattle and sheep. Tbe cultivation of lucerne and uiuize is increasing eaormousl.v. The works now being erected will, under normal conditions, obtain ample supplies of fat stock. Although no reliable official statistics are available, I have no doubt that Argentina possesses considerably over 100 millions of sheep, and, perhaps, 25 millions cattle, while the couatry's carrying ability is being rapidly extended, and the quulity of the flocks and herds steadily improved. As the total export of sheep and mutton last .year was only 3£ million head, and of cattle and beef 200,000 head, it is not difficult to understand how these quantities can bo doubled without difficulty. New Zealand exported f«r the year ending iv Juue last nearly five million carcases muiton and lamb, out of a total of under 20 million sheep. It would be folly for Australians and New Zealandcra to disregard Argentina as a great source of supply, not only of meat, but of dairyproduce, bread, and feeding stuff*. The' country is vast, is very prolific, and has so far been developed only to a very limited extent. Cultivation is easy, transport ia fairly reasonable, owing to tho country being flat, and water is abundant everywhere. The fact that Buenos Ayros is only ]8 to 20 days from London is in their favour. 1 do not' ignore their disabilities; such as numerous stock diseases, plagues of locusts, unstable government, and so forth ; but, even allowing for these, tbe turn of the scale is now, I judge, in their favor The export of butter from Agentina may be said to have only commenced in 1901,, and jet I will bs surprised if it is not nearer 10,000 than 5000 tons this year The cows are not heavy milkers, but they have plenty of them, and it was quite manifest that the new industry was being intelligently and actively exploited. The cattle in the country ar* better than the sheep." Is Africa drawing many supplies from Argentina at present ? " Yes ; probably over 8000 tons of frozen meat monthly, us well as large quantiiies of butter, bread, and feeding siuffd, horses, and rnulef. Yuu are, of course, nwuro that, owing to the foot-and-mouth, disease, At gentina ctmnot ex; ort any live cattle or sheep at present, and mv opinion is that it will be a"long time before British or colonial ports are reopened to them. I have little doubt, however, that if Australia has a run of decent seasons, her choicer flocks and heid?, her intelligent and progressive producers, will enable her to get her head a little way in front." . Now, about South Africa ? " During all too short a visit, I took occasion to make a trip to Pretoria and Johannesburg, and my only regret was tliat 1 could not find time to go to Natal as well. In my opinion Africa ia a. poor country from a pastoral aud agricultural standpoint; but, ou the other hand, I contid'.r ita mineral possibilities very greit. Tho diamonds produced by the De Beers Company for the year ending 30th June lust realised £>£ millions sterling. The proportion ol good lsnd is comparatively email, the water supply ia deficient, and farmers generally am lazy and unskilful, so that I bad no difficulty in arriving at a'decision that the African colonies would be quite unable to feed themselves for some years to come. Stocks are susceptible to all sorts of disease, imported animals suffesing the most, so that the process of restocking cannot be other than slow and very costly. 1 was sorry to ficd that trade all over Africa was dull, owing to the cessation of th& huge war expenditure, to the nativelabour difficulty, to a droughty season, and to a temporary scarcity of moneyresulting to some extent from over-im-portation since peace was declared. There is nothing wrong, however, wi'h the great gold and diamond mining industries ; indeed, I formed tha opinion that they had better prospects than ever. Johannesburg is the most wonderful 17year old city I ever have seen, and, with a gold reef 40 miles long, and the most scientific mining processes and appliances known to fche,%world, 1 coueicler that* con. tinued progress and fresh developments are assured. That city must depepd almost exclusively on imported meat and other food, and consequently its expansion ia a matter of much importance to- us. The great drawback is the cost of living, aod 1 formed tho opinion that £1 in Australia would go quite as far as £2 on the Rand. Australians are better off here, instead of going there, except, perhaps, a moderate number of skilled artisans. Ordinary labourers cannot compete with coloured labour, while I think farmers would be mad to transfer their experience and fund* from Australia to Africa. In regard to trade, tbe Yankees are getting a strong footing, mainly in cured and frozen pork, frozen poultry, canned meats, live cattle, lumber, and machinery of various kinds. Swift's, and othtr big packing houses have represecta* tives in (Jap'q Town, and you see tbeir goods displayed in tha retail stores, all over South Afiica.