THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1969. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14457, 25 February 1909, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1969. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

TnR valuable review of the frozen meat trade annually issued by Messrs W. Weddel and Co., of London, has now attained its " majority," the first of its scries baring been issued in 18SS. liven at that time the trade, although it was still in its infancy, had shown a. very vigorous growth. The exportation of frozen moat from Xew Zealand wan commenced in 1882. In that year the quantity that was shipped was 1,707,3281b. Jn ISSB the export had increased to such an extent that it amounted to 01,857,3731!). During the past twenty-cue year.-s the population of Great Britain has grown in number more rapidly than the live stock in the Kingdom has. Under these conditions, it is manifest, Messrs Weddcl and Co. point out, that unless the importation of frozen meats had expanded materially there must have been either a serious rise in the retail prices of meat at Home or a reduction in the rate of consumption. Neither alternative lias arisen. On the contrary, while the values of farmers' stock of prime quality have been well maintained, tlie increased selling competition in the retail trade has lowered the prices ior all but the choicest cuts. Besides this, tho supplies of cheap imported meat, liava attracted an entirely fresh set of consumers, drawn mainly from the lower middle and working classes, and now the average consumption of beef, mutton, and lamb per head of tho entire population can be shown to have increased from 741b to 891b per annum, or to the extent of 20 per cent. It may clearly t& claimed, therefore, for the frozen meat industry that it ha.s been productive of economic and social results of distinct importance, in the Mother- Country- Its influence in the countrie,--; of its habitat is well recognised. Notwithstanding the enormous quantities of frozen meat that have been shipped from Australia, New Zealand, and the Argentine Republic the Hocks and herds in those countries have increased greatly. Moreover, while new outlets for stock have bee.n eivatod and land values in the exporting countries have benefited through the existence of the trade, great sums l;a.ve beer, .profitably invested in the erection of freezing establishmeait.s ,jrMdi ; either

directly or indirectly, give employment to thousands of hands. Like every other trade, that connected with (he supply of frozen meat is necessarily, however, subject., to fluot nut ions, anil the pa-it year was, from various causes, somewhat unfavourable for the trade as it is carried on in New Zealand. A general shrinkage of business was a factor of considerable moment in curtailing the spending power of the people. This cause may be hoped to be of merely temporary duration.' Another factor may oiert a more permanent influence on the frozen meat market. This consists in the active, development, of the Argentine chilled beef trade. To this the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, in its review for the year, refers in the following terms:—"The production of chilled beef from' the Argentine has received a valuable stimulus, and the large increa.se of 52(i,278cwt in the import has to bo recorded. While the quality and weight of the States beef bos deteriorated, that from South America has steadily improved, and it has arrived in this country in far more satisfactory condition than formerly. The increase in this caso has been accompanied by an increase also in the output of frozen beef. In short, Argentine chilled hec-f has displaced North American chilled beef with the retailer to a very large extent, and the difference in price is more than sufficient to reconcile the buyer to any difference in quality. The effect of these supplies of .cheaper chilled beef has been markedly unfavourable on the markets for frozen meat. It is a truism that the retailer prefers to handle beef to any other meat, and consequently frozen mutton has met. a dull sale at very moderate prices throughout the year. Even lambs, which met with conspicuous success in l!i07, failed to hold public favour in the latter part of the year, in spite of only reduced quantities being offered." It was South America, alone of the exporting countries that increased its output of moat during the year, and to the general decrease in the supply—a diminution of 225,f)70 carcases of sheep and of 2/l),l!J-l carcases of lamb, as compared with the arrivals in England in tlie previous year, being not counterbalanced by an increase of 173,770 quarters in the importation of frozen beef, while the decline in the supply of chilled beef from the United States was productive of a heavy drop in the receipts of this class of meat—was due the circumstance that a slight advance in the values of fresh meats in the United Kingdom was recorded.

The supply of frozen mutton from Now /'ealnnd in IfJOS was short of that of the previous yc;:r to the extent d!f 'J{r''.',(i'iß carcases, mill, iho arrivals were irregularly spreail over the year. O'.UM-itlly speaking, however, the supplies were unite sufficient for requirement*; and a remarkably level course of prices was maintained. Apart from this latter circumstance, the principal feature of the twelvemonth, the Colonial Consignment ami Distributing Company says, was the very smaU quantity of Canterbury mil Won that passed through Smithhekl market, the hulk of these brands ha-ring apparently gone direct to the large provincial buyers. Of lamb Now Zealand supplied 276,134 carcases fewer than in the previous year. The somewhat reduced quantities went ■steadily into consumption as they were marketed, and prices for prime Canterbury lamb stood at a fairly hi;;h and unusually even level right through the year. The proximity of prices for all grades of New Zealand lambs to those ruling; for best Canterbury was specially noteworthy. The explanation of this is, according to Messrs Weddel and Co., to be found in the fact that provincial retailers were unable to make any profit on New Zealand lamb at the high wholesale prices established by the Sraithiield market, and they hit upon the expedient of using largo quantities of the lower grades (which were obtainable at fractionally less cost), even though with lessened satisfaction to their customers. The outstanding feature of the year's trade in New Zealand frozen beef was that tiiis article litis lest a good deal of its reputation for superiority to other frozen beef. An increased proportion of cow and heifer beef is now sent Home, but prime ox beef has frequently been scarce, and the average supplies could generally be matched in quality by beef from the Argentine. .Several times in the autumn quotations were practically uniform for New Zealand, South American, and Australian neof. On the other hand, during periods when the market was glutted with chilled beef, the limited sales of frozen beef were frequently made at higher prices than those at which chilled beef could lie bought The trade in honed beef, which was developing rapidly as a concomitant of the dairying industry in New Zealand, has been virtually stopped, as from the beginning of this year, ay, the outcome of the adoption by the Local Government Board of fresh regulations providing for the inspection of all kinds of imported meat —notably boned beef and pork—on arrival at port of discharge. We cannot vipw the check that has been placed upon this cla.ss of trade as by any means an unmixed evil, especially if the effect of the now regulations will be, as Messrs Weddel and Co. suggest it may, to induce an increased demand for whole quarters of beef to take the place of the large quantities of United States boxed beef, hitherto marketed in England, which will now be unsaleable.