FROZEN MEAT TRADE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1679, 4 May 1904, Page 68

FROZEN MEAT TRADE

THE HOME MARKETS. The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, Limited, reporting under date, London, March 18th, states:— New Zealand mutton.—The Indradevi with 42,883 carcases, and the Maori with about 20,000 carcases have arrived. Trade last week finished up very quietly, and the market pitchings of frozen mutton showed a slight falling off. The improvement in the values of other descriptions of meat this week has strengthened the quotations for New Zealand mutton, and Canterbury sheep are now very firm at 4fd per lb, but this class of mutton is by no means plentiful. Dunedin and Southland sheep are quoted from 4£d to 4-|d per lb., according to quality, but these sheep are also in limited supply. North Island sheep still constitute the greater part of the mutton shipments, and keep their value at 4-Jd to 4|d per lb. There is a slight improvement in the tone of the market at the finish, and quotations are firm. River Plate mutton.—The additions to stocks during the week have been 42,715 carcases per Cornwall, 38,197 carcases per Severus. and 7,442 carcases per Amiral Abbe. The quantities marketed in London have been small, and the quotation remains unchanged at 3|d to 4'd. Trade in the provinces is reported to be very quiet, and prices remain at about id below London. Frozen lamb.—Arrivals have been heavy, and are as f0110w5:—28,312 per Indradevi and about 48,000 per Maori from New Zealand, 14,580 per Wakool, from Australia, and 9,509 per Cornwall, 2,000 per Severus, and. 399 per Amiral Aube, from River Plato' The influx of supplies from New Zealand has prevented any recovery in this market, and prices are very weak with a downward tendency, A few Canterbury lambs make s|d per lb, but this is an extreme figure, and sfd is about the average. North Island lambs are offered at 5-g-d to s£d per lb, and one brand is reported to have been sold as low as 4|d per lb. The brighter weather does not seem to have increased the output to any appreciable extent, but a better demand may be looked for with the approach of Easter. The shipments of lamb from Australia appear to have ceased. Those now being marketed command 4£d to 4|d per lb. River Plate lambs are still being disposed of in the provinces at 4-J-d to 4fd per lb.