ARGENTINE MEAT PRODUCERS' DIFFICULTIES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 29 April 1922, Page 3

ARGENTINE MEAT PRODUCERS' DIFFICULTIES.

Similar conditions beset the frozen' meat export business in other parts of the southern hemisphere than New Zealand and Australia. Argentina, that rich country more favoured in her proximity to Europe than Australasia, also has its complaint to make at this period, and we find the live stock raisers making known their serious position at the present juncture. In conference at Buenos Aires an important assembly of live stock growing representatives discussed the dangers of the present position. It was stated that Argentine beef exports had been declining year by year as to meat yield, for whereas in 1914 tlie meat yield per head averaged 3-34 kilos, in. 1920 it had dropped to 278 kilo., per head. Propositions were relegated by the conference to a committee appointed to deal with -the subject, namely, a proposal for the issue by the State of a. 250,000,000 dollar loan to cattle breeders, -chargeable at 5 per cent, and repayable in five years; or alternatively to fix a minimum price of 65 cents per kilo for export meat; or to promote legislation for the revision of camp leases and rentals; or to introduce legislation regulating the sale of cattle by live weight, and ordering a live stock census. These measures were advatced, as it was the declared opinion of the conference that the situation for Argentine meat raisers was now desperate. This account of what is going on in Argentina will be.some indication to readers in the British overseas Dominions that tlie difficulties of meat producers at -the present juncture are indeed world wide. It is stated that the Argentine Government is planning a measure to -take over, either wholly or in part, any meat works in the Republic showing profits in excess of 20 per cfci.t. per asmum.