CHILLED BEEF TRADE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3449, 24 November 1932, Page 5

CHILLED BEEF TRADE

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. "DISTANCE NO LONGER A BAR." "The British public wants chilled beef, and Australia should endeavour to secure a share of the market," said Mr. F. J. Walker, Ltd., meat exporters, who returned to Sydney last week after a visit to England to inquire into marketing conditions. Mr. Walker said the experimental shipments of Australian chilled beef by the Port Fairy had been delivered in sound marketable condition and had sold readily. The experiment had been a wonderful success and the methods of treatment before shipment and during the voyage had been the same as those in use in South America. Australia had found the way successfully to treat and develop a regular and increasing trade. The Commonwealth had suitable cattle and meatworks facilities to maintain weekly shipments over most of the year. Regular weekly arrivals on the United Kingdom market were essential, and the urgekt*esfnmediate need was the completion ojf suitable shipping arrangements. Few ships had yet been fitted for the carriage of chilled meat, which had to be hung and could not be stacked like frozen meat. Until adequate tonnage for the carriage of chilled beef was available, shipments would necessarily be intermittent. In the meantime, continued Mr. Walker, South Africa was displaying initiative and enterprise in marketing successfully a number of experimental shipments. One shipment had been treated at Johannesburg, railed about 1000 miles to Capetown, and marketed in London in excellent condition. Rhodesia was also about to commence shipment. Australia, said Mr. Walker, could not lag behind South Africa. A constant demand awaited the Australian chilled product. The present freight on chilled meat from Australia to the United Kingdom was 1 5-8 d a pound, as compared with 5-8 d a pound from South Africa and South America. It must be remembered, of course, that chilled beef stowed 105 cubic feet to the ton, as against 85 cubic feet to the ton fn the case of frozen beef.