AUSTRALIAN MEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15513, 21 January 1914, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN MEAT.

DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY.

It is not generally known, but at the present time Australia is absolutely unable to supply her orders for meat. Cable orders for large quantities of canned meats arrive daily from all parts of the world, and merchants find it impossible to fill them. Recently one firm in Sydney had an order for 10,003 cases of canned beef by cable from the United States, and had to reply 'impossible to procure." The same farm could buy to-day 60,000 cases for various customers, and cannot get it anywhere or at any price. Every inch of space on the steamers for America and Canada is occupied with lines such as frozen meat, butter canned meats, wool, and even onions. More vessels are urgently required for the Pacific ports of North America. By a large number of people it is imagined that. Australia can supply much larger quantities of produce than she has been doing. This is a mistake. Her capacity is limited. It must bo remembered that each year there is a larger local demand as population increases, and the- increase of crops or stock will not, at our present rate of progress, do more than supply that demand, so anything that is shipped to new countries such as North America will come off what is shipped as a rule to Great Britain. The price, however, will be the factorthe country which offers the best terms will get the produce. It is all in the interest of the producer, who at last is going to get his fair share of the good things going. He has had many years of low prices. Now, to all appearance, he j is going to get something back.