THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19147, 15 April 1924, Page 6

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The prices that are at present ruling at Home for frozen mutton and lamb are unsatisfactory in comparison with those of recent times. At the same time it must bo remembered that the post-war prices have generally been on a distinctly high level. Last year, which Messrs W. Weddel and Co. describe in their annual review as a disappointing year, the average prices of frozen lamb and frozen mutton were 77 per cent, and 73 per cent, respectively above the corresponding figures for 1913, thus demonstrating the continued popularity of these descriptions of meat, despite heavily increased supplies. The competition of producing countries for the British market is steadily increasing. As much as 38 per cent, of the mutton and lamb imports into Great Britain last year was received from South America, which for the first time supplied over five million carcases in the course of twelve months. So recently as 1920 the proportion shipped by South America was only 16 per cent. As regards quality, South America seems (Messrs Weddel and Co. say) to be incapable of producing mutton or Lamb of the high standard attained by New Zealand growers, but a great improvement has been noticeable in recent years, and Argentine mutton can now command a considerable premium over the price of Australian mutton, although it is still much cheaper than the New Zealand article. The competition of South America affected the New Zealand trade in another respect. The outstanding feature of the meat business last year was the remarkable expansion in shipments of chilled beef from South America, the imports into Great Britain totalling 383,321 tons—an increase of 28.2 per cent, over the figure for the preceding year. As retailers found that a bigger profit was obtainable from chilled beef than from any other description of meat, they encouraged its sale to the utmost, at the expense more particularly of frozen lamb, with which' it compared very favourably in price. By this means, the preference shown by the public for lamb, which has been a marked characteristic of the trade since the war, was to a small extent weakened. And to this competition of chilled beef, disposed of retail at prices considerably lower than those of mutton and lamb, is to be ascribed in large part the fact that the prices of these commodities, notwithstanding a drop in shipments from New Zealand of 300,000 lambs and million sheep, not only failed to rise, but actually followed a downward course throughout the greater part of the year. Concerning the prospects of the meat trade in the future, Messrs Weddel and Co. cautiously refrain from expressing any opinion. “The general political and industrial outlook,” they say, “ is far too uncertain for any attempt to be made to forecast the course of prices this year. As so much depends upon the outcome of events looming on the horizon, both in this country and on the Continent, to do so would amount to nothing more than a leap in the dark.” Their review was completed about seven weeks ago, but there has not so far been any improvement in the outlook that has been sufficiently marked to justify any definite conclusion of a favourable nature.