NEW ZEALAND CHILLED BEEF DISPLAY

Mt Benger Mail, 9 February 1938, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND CHILLED

BEEF DISPLAY

AT SMITHFIELD GREAT PROGRESS IN FIVE YEARS New Zealand chilled beef is now so well established as a feature of the Dominion’s meat exports that it has come into line with lamb in providing at the great Smithfield market a distinctive display which can be confidently submitted for judging by the representatives of the meat import trade. Their report on a recent display of this kind, which has been received by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, contains many valuable suggestions for meeting the requirements of the English trade, and includes the following encouraging statement regarding the position already reached in this respect, by New Zealand prodccers: “As a whole, we consider the exhibit a very nice lot of beef, comprised of quarters generally very suitable for the London trade, except that in a general way some exhibits were on the heavy, side. Nevertheless, we consider this collection of chilled beef probably the best that has been seen on this market from New Zealand. Practically all individual quarters carried a wealth of meat with the external fat uniform.” Rapid Development of New Trade To secure so excellent a verdict after only a short experience of this phase of export meat production reflects considerable credit on the beef breeders of the Dominion, and also those responsible for the preparation and shipment of the carcases. It was only so recently as,. February 1933, that an experimental shipment of 474 quarters of chilled beef was made from the Dominion to Smithfield. The possibilities of this trade were quickly recognised. A number of freezing companies made considerable capital expenditure in equipping their works with the most modern methods of treating chilled beef; the shipping companies promptly commenced to provide the special gas-tight cool chambers required for chilled beef, and th e . Railway Department built refrigerated wagons suitable for the quick and safe handling of the meat from the works to overseas vessels. Exports of chilled beef expanded with remarkable rapidity, as will be seen from the following details of the seasonal totals Season Quarters 1933/34 19,576 1934/35 64,514 1935/36 144,169 1936/37 201,105

The success of its export lamb competitions prompted the Meat Producers’ Board to give support to a competition for chilled beef at the Royal Show for judging on the hooks in New Zealand. The entries for the export class at the Royal Show were shipped to London and finally judged while displayed at Smithfield by Messrs W. C. Fisk (W. Weddei and Co.), J. Hamilton (Hayes and Paine) and W. H. Bates (Powell & Wootton Ltd). Their report, a portion of which is quoted earlier in this article, showed that except for some of the exhibits being too heavy for retail butchers’ requirements, they considered the beef of very high quality. In two instances they noted' that the weights were over 800 lbs., and in one case 848 lbs., which, they state, is much too heavy for this trade. In their detailed comment on the pens, the judges selected for first place Pen No. 1 (weights 660 lbs and 638 lbs) remarking— ‘ ‘ Two nicely balanced bullocks, full fleshed and eminently suitable for Smithfield requirements. Weights, ideal, small in bone and with texture of flesh of that nice ripe colour so pleasing to buyers. Internal fat not excessive, and disposition of external fat proportionate to wealth of meat each quarter contained.”