NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1865, 19 August 1887, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

It goes without saying (remarks a writer in the European Mail) that New Zealand long ago beat the United States and Canada in supplying this country with fresh frozen mutton. Both in quality and quantity, and also in regularity of supply, the Britain of the South bore away the palm. It appears, however, "from information received," as the detectives say, that New Zealand sheepfarmers must be up and stirring, or La Plata— i.e., the Argentine Republic— will secure the lion's share of this important trade. It seems, from figures lately furnished me, that in May we received here from Australasia 33,505cwt of frozen mutton valued at £91,253; and during the same month the Argentine Republic sent 33,864cwt, valued at ' only £63,206. In other words, it appears that while each hundredweight of New Zealand mutton — for practically all Australasian mutton comes thence — was valued at £2 15s, the Argentine mutton was placed here at £1 17s per cwt. This is said to be very disastrous— stnd no doubt it is — for the interests of tho stockraising British farmer; and it is also highly unsatisfactory to our New Zealand mutton growers. For my own part, I have all along maintained that the main error on the part of the New Zealand muttou exporters to this country has been the not taking the necessary measures to ensure that all the meat they send us shall go into actual consumption as New Zealand bred. At present it is not too much to assert that the principal consumers of colonial mutton are rather the butchers than the public. This is the ono special trouble and difficulty wherewith the colonial producer has always had to contend. If only he could get at the British public in these islands direct, he could at once obtain for -himself a higher and more remunerative price for his mutton, and at the same time enable the actual consumers to have their mutton far cheaper than the butchers in general will allow of. This, therefore, would effect a double good, and the only remedy I can see is that the New Zealand mutton breeder for these markets should have his own shops here, and consign his mutton to them and them alone, and to decline absolutely to sell otherwise than retail. This process would, no doubt, be at first a step backward, and would be attended with some difficulties of detail, but when once taken it would be certainly fraught with eminently satisfactory results to all concerned.