GISBORNE'S WINTER BEEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19303, 16 April 1926, Page 12

GISBORNE'S WINTER BEEF.

A PROBABLE SHORTAGE.

USE OF FROZEN MEAT.

" The public of Gisbornc will have to accustom themselves to eating frozen beef during the coming winter," said a Gisbornc butcher this week, " for there will be practically no fat stock available during the winter months." Ho added that from what he had seen in recent trips through the district, his own shop could handle with ease all tho fat cattle which would be available during tho wintor. Already, says tho Poverty Bay Herald, the butchers are making preparations for tho coming beef famine, and some of the bost of the cattlo which can now be purchased are being rushed into tho freezing works, whore they will be frozen and held for consumption later in the season. Dealers who travel throughout the whole of Poverty Bay say that fat cattlo will be coming forward only from one or two specially-favoured portions .ot the district this winter, and that there will not be nearly enough of them to supply tho normal beef needs of the town. Butchers maintain that the public will hardly be awaro that tho beef it is eating is frozen. Only the best quality bullocks and cows arc being frozen, and as they will not have to be kept for very many months they should inako quite good eating. .Tho.ro is, of course, a prejudico against any frozen meat in New Zealand, largely owing to the fact that people have never had to eat it, but it is probable that there will be little apparent difference between the frozen and tho ordinary beef. The paper adds : —" The position at any rate is beyond the control of tho butchers in that tho season has been abnormal. It will not pay thorn, they assort, to bring fat cows from other districts, tlio cost being prohibitive, and that being tho case thoy have got to make the only alternative provision, which consists of frozen beef."