Sources of Supply of Meat For London

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 8

Sources of Supply of Meat For London

IMPORTANCE OF DOMINIONS LONDON, April 20. An idea of the extent to which Londoners rely on the Dominions and oversea countries for their meat is given by the report on the meat trade of the city for 1938 to the Central Markets Committee. If London relied upon meat production in the United Kingdom, her citizens would be provided with a ration of only 3oz. of beef, 3oz. of mufton, and 2Joz. of pork weekly. In the supply of beef, the Argentine leads the way. In spite of restrictions, she sends 3S per cent oi the total beef and veal consumed iu the Loudon area, which is equal to 141,177 tons. The United Kingdom supplies London with a little over 15 per cent. The Dominions send 18 per cent, or over 45,000 tons of beef and veal, and foreign countries other than the Argentine about 6 per cent.

The Dominions supply the greater proportion of London's mutton and lamb. New Zealand alone last year sent London 43 per cent of its requirements, Australia IS per cent, while Argentina supplied 11 per cent, and other foreign countries only 1 per cent. Great Britain and Ireland, in supplying London with mutton and lamb, take a relatively important place, the total supplies amounting to 24 per cent. London received 44,000 tons of pork and bacon last year, and of this quan tity 68 per cent was supplied by Great Britain and Ireland, the Dominions being responsible for 23 per cent and foreign countries for over'B per cent.

Of the total supplies derived from all 1 sources, beef represonted over 52 per J cent, mutton and lamb 30 per cent, jpork 91 per cent, poultry, game, rabIbits, butter, eggs, and other unenumerated supplies 7 per cent. Beef and mutton between them constitute no less than 82 per cent of London’s meat consumption. Britain and Ireland supplied 15 per | cent of the total beef consumed, and were responsible for 24 per cent of the supplies of mutton and 73 per cent of I the pork. England produced nearly 20,000 tons of beef, Scotland 16,000 ' tons and Ireland 1729 tons. Of mutton, j England produced 11,800 tons, Scotland jo\er 21,000 tons, and Ireland 1942 tons