ARGENTINE BEEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23930, 4 October 1939, Page 6

ARGENTINE BEEF

CONTROL BY BIG TRUSTS EFFECT ON GROWERS NEW ZEALANDER'S IMPRESSIONS (Per United Press Association; CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 3. The control of the Argentine * beef industry by big meat trusts and its effect on growers were mentioned by H D Greenwood in an interview on his return from a trip to England and the Argentine. "What struck me was the stranglehold of the big meat trusts on the beef industry," he said. " Growers received a very poor return in comparison with the price obtained for their meat on the London market. There was some resentment, but there seemed to be no combination among the growers. The Government had, however, forced the meat companies recently to pay a higher price for lambs." Mr Greenwood visited several large holdings in the Argentine. The cattle, he said, were magnificent. Most of them were Shorthorn; and nearly.all the Red Shorthorn of which there were thousands all over the country. The quality of the bulls he had seen was astounding. "If it were not for the quality of the stock thev could not make it pay at the prices." he said. " and in spite of the high level of the stock they find that they have to keep on importing from Britain." He was surprised to find that scab and foot-and-mouth disease were still prevalent in the Argentine. Though foot-and-mouth disease was prevalent, however, its effects did not seem nearly as bad as in Ensland. The disease lasted only from 10 days to a fortnight and was seldom really serious. The war had not long begun when Mr Greenwood left the Argentine. The only reaction he observed was a slieht anxiety about the continuity of the shinning services for the maintenance of the chilled beef trade. An order had been received, presumably from the British Government, for canned beef. There was some doubt whether the order cnuld be filled because the qualitv of the beef available was too high for canning to be practicable.