FROZEN MEAT AT HOME

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1675, 6 April 1904, Page 65

FROZEN MEAT AT HOME

' LONDON, February 5,

The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, Limited, in their market report to date state: —The market for frozen meat' cannot be considered in a satisfactory position. The demand is very dull and dragging. and values have been maintained solely by the firmness of holder®, who are supported by the light supplies available and in sight. Other •classes of meat, are also, selling badly, particularly beef, which, shews a further decline in value. American chilled beef i® selling, at 3tel to 4;}d for hinds and 3d to 3jd for fores, and Argentine chilled! beef at 3d to 3jcl for hinds and 2->d to 2)cl for fores, the latter class of meat giving about, the same return per side ais the frozen beef. A continuance of wet, and unsettled wea,their has depressed the meat trade generally. and lias taken all life out of the demand. NEW ZEALAND MUTTON. The “Rimutaka” has arrived with 7,578 carcasses. Canterbury mutton is not quite so firm in value, and the quotation is now very little better than 4id par lb for all the best grades, but heavy carcases are still scarce. North. Island sheep are also- a s'liadei "weaker and sales qannot now be made over 4£d per lb. Price® for this class might easily have been maintained, in spite of the slow demand, but, for the fact that some c.i.f. purchases are being, released 1 at slightly under recent quotations, and ether holders have been obliged to fall into line. The wide margin between North Island and Plate: Mutton also af r footed the output, and the tendency at the close is towards a, furher slight reduction in values. Ewers are quoted at old. but not many are marketed. AUSTRALIAN MUTTON. The only addition to stocks is 782 oar oases per “Somerset.” Values are quoted 'at 3kl tor 3-fd per lb, but the business done is very limited. RIVER, PLATE! MUTTON. The “Cordilleras” has brought 6,487 carcases to London. Importers have, not made any change in their quotations. The largest holders continue to quote at 3ld in London, and 3kl to, 3|d i'n the Provinces. The other companies quote 4d in London, and Sfd to 3£d per lb in the 'provinces. FROZEN LAMBS. Supplies have been 7,260 carcases per “Rimutaka” from New Zealand, 20,411 per “Wilcannia,” 542 per “Orizaba,” and 24,564 per “Sbrnerset” from Australia, and 1,000 per “Cordilleras” from River Plate 1 . At, the end of last week some new season’s North Island lambs were put on the market and realised a, firm average, of 61d per lb. At this early stage Iff the season only a limited quantity are required, and any attempt. to sell a number would' result in lower prices. This week further supplies have reached the market', and a weaker 1 tendency is already noticeable. Old season’®' lambs arc still plentiful and fire offered an the country at 4|&. to 4-sd, while a few of the best make up to 5d at Smithfield. For the stalest carcases it is difficult to eive a quotation. A us-

tralian lambs make 4.1 dto 4gd, with an occasional od at Southfield. Lines have been placed ex Liverpool at lower prices, but the demand is not brisk at present. River Plate lambs are in fairly plentiful supply, and a t rade is being done in the North and Midlands at prices ranging from 4ki to t.yd per lb for good carcases*. FROZEN BEEF. The “Rimutaka,” brought 396 quarters from New Zealand, and the “Cordilleras” 2,000 quarterns from River Plate. The general beef supply has. been, i'n excess of the demand, and the ctyop prices ruling for chilled have curtailed the output of the frozen article. Very little New Zealand' beef is changing hands. Australian beef sells slowly at 2|d to 2hl for hinds and: 2/d for fores, and Argentine beef intake® very little more. Price® have now been unremunerativei to shippers for sometime* past, and the prospect does not offer much encouragement at present. It is stated .a further trial of Continental], markets is about to he mad© by one of the Argentine companies.