ARGENTINE WOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18625, 5 August 1922, Page 8

ARGENTINE WOOL

UNUSUALLY SMALL CUP. (Feom Due Own Cobeespondent.) WELLINGTON, August 4. In discussing the firm tone of the London wool sales as disclosed in cablegrams received tp-day, the Hon. W. Nceworthy (Minister of Agriculture) stated that it was most encouraging to note that the wool record (Bradford) for June stated that the next Argentine clip would bo the smallest for the past 30 years, and only two-thirds that of the 1914 clip. This was an.' authoritative statement, made after careful investigation of the number of sheep in the Argentine Republic to-day. The investigation indicated that it is not likely that the clip will produce more than 180.000. 0001 b, or approximately 195,000 Argentine bales. As the local industries are now using approximately 17,500,0001 b of grease wool a year, this would leave in the neighbourhood of 162,500,0001 b, or 175,000 Argentine bales for export. The smallest annual export in the last 10 years was 283,000' bales in the 1914-15 season. Mr Nosworthv thought that although this estimate appeared to be very low, one well-known source estimated the clip as low as 175,000,0001 b. and the most hopeful estimate received was only 226,000,(300 lb, as compared with recent clips of 330.000. The estimate of 225,000,000 lb, however, did not take into consideration the very important factor _ that the next clip will be much lighter in weight than usual, as well as clipped from fewer sheep. The last clip was estimated to have been 286,000,0001 b. , DECLINE IN SHEEP. The Minister remarked that 25 years ago there were 74,000,000 head of sheep in Argentina, but this number decreased to 67,000,000 in 1908, and still further to 43.000. in 1914. In 1918 the number was somewhat above 43,000,000. In the last three years the Argentine flocks have decreased about 40 per cent, as the result of drought, disease, and slaughter, so that to-day there are not believed to be more than 30,000,000 sheep in the Republic. Some sources estimate as high as 35.000. but others place the estimate as ,low as 25,000,000. The investigation shows more or less 30,000.000 sheep distributed as follows in the principal woolproducing regions, as oonlpared with the 1918 figures: 1922. 1918. Province -of Bnenbs Avres 11,000.000 18,785,000 The Pampa ... 1,500,000 2,283,000 Entre Rios and ' 1 Corrientes ... 4,000.000 6,650,000 Patagonia ; 8,000,000 10,366,000 ■Santa Fe Cordoba I and rest of Ref public 5,500,000 5,500,000

Those who estimate the flocks at 25,000,000 instead of 30,000,000 say_ that the foregoing estimate for Patagonia is too high, and that there has been a decrease in the flocks of Santa Fe Cordoba, and the rest of the country not allowed .for in this estimate. LIGHTER FLEECES. Not only has there been a tremendous decline in the number of sheep in Argentina, but the average fleece m the next clip is expected to be much lighter than usual. Argentine sheep have produced fleeces weighing Blb. The average weight in the 1919 clip was 7flb, but the dip this season did not average and is expected to be something under 61b. Next season the calculations of the clip, as here given, are based on an average fleece of 61b, though many wool men say it will average closer to The Province of Buenos Ayres produces the bulk of the widely-known Buenos Ayres crossbred, which is a coarse Lincoln cross, and only 2 per cent, of the total clip in the province is fine wool. Eight per cent, of the production is fine crossbrec. Patagonia produces most of the fine v ools, 20 per cent, of the Patagonian clip being merino and first cross, and 40 per cent, fine crossbred. The up-river provinces produce about 10 per cent, of their clip in fine wools, and 70 per cent, in fine crossbred. The Pam pa produces no fine wool to speak of, but 10 per cent, of its production is fine crossbred. Santa Pe CordoA, San Luis, and the surrounding regions produce heavier crossbreds, and carpet wools. This investigation is also of great interest to the New Zealand frozen meat_ trade. Articles from overseas have periodicallv sought to impress on New Zealand farmers that Argentine mutton and Patagonian lamb were available in such quantities as seriouslv to depreciate the-value of New Zealand products, and that New Zealand had lost its pre-eminence in the frozen mutton >and l lamb trade. “The figures 1 have given above,” Mr Nosworthy concluded, “show that the reverse is the fact, and the departed flocks in South America doubtless explain the anxietv of the, meat and shipping interests to hold on to their trade with New Zealand. It is plain that if New Zealand devotes its attention to improving the <fualitv. grading and marketing of its meat exports, arid reducing the heavy charges at nresent existing between the New Zealand farmer and the English consumer, it has little to fear from South American competition.