“POOR QUALITY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27386, 11 May 1950, Page 7

“POOR QUALITY”

Argentine Meat Sold To Britain SCOTTISH TRADER’S ATTACK NZPA Special Correspondent Rec. 7.45 p.m. LONDON, May 10. A strong attack upon the poor quality of Argentine meat sold to Britain was made by Mr T. C. Brechin, of Glasgow, when moving a resolution advocating the abolition of bulk buying at the biennial conference of the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders. British butchers,'he said, were being called upon to handle a mixture of good Argentine beef, over-weight and over-aged Argentine beef, unduly 'fat Argentine beef, indifferent quality Argentine beef, and just bad Argentine beef. Argentine mutton and lamb were of such poor quality that no other article sold by the butchers today caused so many complaints or so much grumbling. The price of Argentine meat was unduly high, just as its quality was unduly low, Mr Brechin said. Butchers did not know what prices the Ministry of Food was paying for Argentine beef, mutton and lamb, but if the price was reflected , in the price charged to the butchers and paid by the public,, then that price was far too high and the quality far too low.

He was confident that if the buying of Argentine meat was entrusted to firms who had specialised in this work before the war and whose knowledge had not been acquired easily, cheaply, or quickly, then the average price these firms would pay would compare favourably with the price which the Ministry was paying today, or was likely to pay in future agreements. Mr Brechin’s motion urging the abolition of bulk buying was carried unanimously.