THE MEAT TRADE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7141, 31 May 1910, Page 10

THE MEAT TRADE

POSITION IN GREAT BRITAIN. The position of the meat trade at ITome at tlie beginning of last month is well described by the Smithfield correspondent of the "Pastoralists' Review," who writes: Shortage of home and American supplies has made all sorts of refrigerated meat firm; this, and the good general trade of the country, which showed signs of improvement before the general election, has been more than maintained since. Everything seems to be going ahead here, except cotton; that is not strong, simply because supplies do not exist. And the shortage of meat supply will, it is expected, continue probably until .rune.

All through the month frozen mutton I has been getting firmer in price, Australian perhaps "selling more freely than other descriptions, and ordinary quality ! being more difficult to buv than choicer sorts. Up to the middle of March the arrivals from New Zealand were 96.87 b carcases less than in the corresponding period of 1900. Th?re was a lessened supply, too, from South America. But Australia showed an increase of no less than 159,175 carcases. Canterbury sheep have been in very limited supply, but North Islands hay.? been selling freely. It has, in fact, been -the cheap mutton that has been in request most; and since Easter the position is even stronger than before. Australian mutton, has been selling at from 3|d to 3:M; Canterburys dp to 4kl to <f:,'d; and North Islands 4Jd to 4:Jd; and South American 3?d to 4d.

The feature of the month, however, has been th? demand for frozen beef, and this week prices of Australasian hard have been equal to that for chilled —ld to -lid for hin<!,s and 3Jd to 33d for fores. New Zealand has been off the market lately. The month opened with moderate stocks and an advance of Jd per lb. Some New Zealand beef that came to hand was of particularly good quality, but here and there were traces of bone-taint.

Reviewing the position as it is to-day, the market is decidedly firm. Canterbury lambs row stand at 5-|d; North Islands (such as are available are of really good quality) arc fetching from s ld to skl. Australian lambs are from 4-jd to -Inland sd, with good demand. Plato lambs tire about lijd. North Island (New Zealand) mutton is fetching a good piico, viz., 4id to 4fd. Australian mutton is short’at the moment, and prices arc from 3-UI to 3*d. Plate mutton is selling at about 4d. Frozen beef, token all round, is at for fores and from 4£d to 4-ld for hinds, there being little or no difference between that and chilled. In fact, to-day at the same stall where frozen was selling at 2s ICd to 3s a stone, (81b) some chilled was only making from 2s Gd to 2s 8d (hinds). Frozen be-ef during the month lias advanced nearly Id per lb. Everybody is happy just now —buyers and sellers. Thofce who bought cJ.f. in the early part of the season have c one exceedingly well. It is a good thing they have, so that life may be put into them again after the severe losses they made last year. Thess losses will take a lot of pulling up yet. Still, the market has recovered wonderfully, and it looks as though w-o were going to have a good season.