THE FREEZING SEASON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23689, 22 December 1938, Page 12

THE FREEZING SEASON

SPECIAL SOUTHLAND FACILITIES KILLING PERIOD DURING HOLIDAYS (Special to Daily Times) INVERCARGILL, Dec. 21. An opportunity for farmers to draft for killing as many fat lambs as possible before the rush period at the freezing works begins in January is being provided at the Makarewa and Ocean Beach Freezing Works, which will be open for three days killing between Christmas and New Year. This facility has only once previously been provided in Southland, although for the last six years the works have opened for a short killing period before Christmas. ~ . , . So far this season supplies of fat lambs at Makarewa and Ocean Beach freezing works have come forward in small numbers and, for the present week, the killings have averaged between 3000 and 4000 lambs a day. With full boards of butchers provided these numbers do not provide a full day's work for the slaughtermen. It is expected, however, that there will be a very keen demand for killing and freezing space early in January, and the companies hope that the provision of three days killing between the two holidays will relieve the congestion by the putting through of between 20,000 and 30,000 lambs'. The works will be open to receive lambs from Wednesday, to Friday, December 28 to 30, and killing will be resumed on January 5. The Mataura works are opening for the first time this season on that date. Seventy butchers have been engaged at Makarewa and 48 at Mataura. When the three works are operating to full capacity, it will be possible to kill 18,000 lambs a day. . The companies hope that shipping difficulties will not be serious this season Three vessels—the Huntingdon, the Port Campbell and the Tqngariro —are due to load meat at Bluff during January, and it is expected that the allocation will be sufficient to avoid congestion of storage space at the freezing works such as occurred last year.