TRADE WITH SOOTH AFRICA

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1687, 29 June 1904, Page 53

TRADE WITH SOOTH AFRICA

Sir Joseph Ward lias received a long and comprehensive report from Mr J. A. Kinsella, Dairy Commission or for the colony, on the prospects of New Zealand trade with South Africa for the o fferent lines of our produce. Mr .Kin:* !la regards the prospects for a large f ad lasting trade between New Zealand and South Africa as almost assured, particularly in agricultural and dairy produces. In fact, he would almost stake his repv:-

tation on tho fact that an enormous trade could don© for many years to come if the people of this country went about supplying South Africa in a proper and businesslike manner. We should endeavour to give the purchaser m Africa exactly what ho cculd sell, and the article ehould be exactly what would ■ suit the . consumer or -handler, whether meat;, butter, cheese, timber, or any other product. So far as meat and dairy produce were concerned, if we were not alive to the fact that it was important to lay our produce on the African markets in Al eondition, rwe would shortly find ourselves out of the swim so far as quality and price are concerned. So. long as disease in stock continues in the various colonies of South Africa, particularly in the Transvaal and the Orange River Colony, he is of opinion some years must elapse before they will be able to grow enough live stock to supply local demands. He is satisfied that New Zealand should be able to get ; a good market for her beef, mutton, tongues, kidneys, rabbits, butter, cheese, etc. The latest small shipments of our beef seemed to be giving almost entire satisfaction. In catering ior the African trade, so far as meat is con- ; corned, we should aim to send only the | best quality, for the reason that "it is i a new market, and other countries are ! endeavouring to lay down there just exactly the kind of meat and produce i the people ask for. In regard to mutton, we must send nice, medium-sized, plunip sheep, not too fat, and above ail I have them well-dressed. and properly j covered in cotton scrim and canvas;

and every attention should be paid to landing the shipments according to contract, at least as near as possible. The New Zealand tongues he had exam--

ined in Africa were not what they ought to 'be. When opened up they were found to be out of shape, long, flabby and discoloured. They were also packed in rough, untidy cases which were much too long. He wa»s disgusted with the few small shipments of New Zealand kidneys he examined in Africa. They were sent in rough, dirty cases, and still worse, some in canvas sacks, being thrown in regardless of. size or quality.' In tinned meats, he is afraid we do not stand much chance of developing a large trade, or even getting a “cur in, 5 ’ against the Americans. The greattrouble in regard to our hams and bacon is that prrehasers cannot get the goods in New Zealand. He hopes our farmers will soon wake up to the importance of growing move pork. The same might be said of our poultry as of our hams

and bacon. He fears that New Zealand will nut bo able to do much with ! Africa in the fish trade, unless with blue cod arid tinned whitebait. Our export;ed rabbits were very fine and well I spoken of. Dealing with butter, he ; strongly condemns the practice of holdi ing large quantities in cold storages j through the winter with a view to catching a higher market in the spring. The quality of the majority of butter ■! samples he examined had deteriorated very much. Our only chance of coml petmg with the Argentine was on tho score cf better quality, and if our producers aimed to get their butter on the African markets, the Argentine people could not touch them as far as quality is concerned. in regard to cheese, we do very little business with Africa at 1 the present time, and unless we adopt some hotter system of laying our cheese down in a sounder condition, there is little hope of our establishing anything like a decent connection. He recommended better packing and improved methods of storage in transit.