THE FRESH MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2159, 11 July 1895, Page 6

THE FRESH MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

The success of the chilling process, exemplified in the consignment of beef per Gothic, as an improved means for the conveyance of fresh meat long distances in a condition more accep* table to consumers than when forwarded in a frozen state, indicates very distinctly the direction in which strong efforts must bo made to maintain the meat export trade of the colony at the high level obtained for so many years, and these must consist in the abandonment of the freezing process as heretofore adhered to and the adoption of the chilling method or the shipment of fat stock alive, for assuredly the competition in the future will be between the two latter means of placing fresh meats on- foreign markets. It will be remembered that a trial shipment of beef per the Port Pirie, to be carried during the voyage to London in a chilled state, from an Australian port) of shipment was a failure, and this, in connection with unsatisfactory results from similar experimental shipments from the River Plate, was regarded by upholders of the freezing, and subsequent defrosting, pi oo esses, as proof positive of tha impractibili-y of keeping chilled beef or mutton in souud, commercial condition during the long voyage frem Australia to a port in Europe. On the other hind, believers in the feasibility of the conveyance of meat at the "chill" temperature, and with the assured knowledge that British consumers prefer meat that has not been frozen to meat that has, were encouraged by the circumstances surrrounding the Port Pirie mishap to persevere. in their efforts. Far from being of recent origin, their views fcftvc been neU thought out. Twelve mooifca

ago last February Messrs W. Weddel and Co. stated iv their review of the frozen meat trade for 1893, in reference to the experiments of shipping chilled meat from the River Plate :— " The time is now approaching when similar trial shipments will doubtless be made from Queensland. Three — Perthshire, Buteshire, and Gothic— have just been added to the Australian trade, fitted with chemical systems of refrigeration, and as these lend themselves more readily than any ' dry air ' system to the steady raaiutainacca of tem.perature at a fixed level so essential in carrying meat in a chilled state, the making of tie necessary experiments during 1894 is well within the range of possibility. It is admitted on all sidts by those engaged in the American chilled beef- trade that the l&ndiug in this country of prime Australian beef in an efficiently chilled state, instead of being frozen hard as at present, would lead to tha speedy withdrawal of American shippers." ] The problem and potentialities of the chilled meat trade have been effectually rolved by the consignment of beef from WellingtoH per Gothic, for net only vr«ro the prices realised nearly double those obtainable for frozen beef, but the meat was chit-fly taken by butchers who had previously been in tho habit of buying chilled American beef, and >s there are several powerful syndicates concerned in this new feature of the business, its development' must seriously handicap the live caitle traffic from these colonies which has recently sprung into existence. A portion of the cargo, it waa reported, was ncirly frozen, and was sold at a lower price in consequenc». The circumstance plainly revealed tho difference in values of chilled and frozen meats, while it showed there must have been some imperfection in the appliances for maintaining a uniform temperature throughout the " cbill " comportments, though it is but fair to say that the engineer in charge insisted that during the voyage it was uniformly 27deg Fahr., and tuab during a like period he would undertake there 'would 'not be a variation from a prescribed temperature of more tfcan half a degree. With the uniform maintenance of the temperature desired in the cold chambers duting the voyage contracted for, and recorded or checked bj the I thermostat, the perfect condition of chilUd meat when placsd on the ultimate market; would be assumed. * It has been argued that the thermostat is unI relUble, and certainly its use in meat-cargo vessels hxs been strongly objected to by ship agents, captaiDS, and engineers, but the facts cannot b3 gainsaid that it has been satisfacI torily tested in recording the temperature of cool compartments in which fruit was conveyed from the colonies to England. Throughout the course of the frozen meat trade no means have been available for the enforcement of stipulations as to temperature in transit, and to the varied extremes of freezing to which consignments were subject may reasonably be attributed the conflicting experiences and disappointments of consumers ineGieat Britain, who should certainly be capable of estimating the relative money values of meat for household uss, and accordingly in their estimation homefed meat ranks first, followed by that from animals imported alive and slaughtered at port of arrival, chilled meat being next in grade ; and the lowest in the scale has always been meat frozen. The arguments repeatedly promulgated that these preferences arsthe outcome of groundless prejudices must just be taken for what they arc worth, but as it is in the interest of producers to suit the tastes and ascertained needs of consumers, our surplusage of mutton and beef must henceforth be forwarded •' chilled," for certainly the freezing process is nearly obsolete. It is true that the conveyance cf chilled meat will be more costly, as it will take up more room on shipboard than doe 3 frozen meat, but as the additional freight would only amount to about £d per lb, while the increased price obtainable, according to trade experts in London, would beatleastl£dto2dper lb as compared with that for frozen meat, the inducements for the adoption of the chilling process are unquestionable. There has been a heavy reduction in the number of cattle in the United States since 1892, although in 1893 the exportation* of American chilled beef to the United Kingdom amotuitod to 80,000 tons, or {out times the

maximum annual capacity of the then existing fref zing works in Queennland. This year the ehortago of cattle in the United States ia so remarkable that ruling prices for fats are variously estimated at from 35 to 50 per cent, in ad» vance of quotations 12 months previously. Ad extraordinary curtailment of shipments from | the States for a considerable time to come of both live cattle and chilled beef is therefore inevitable, and the main source of supply of fresh meat other than frozen meat to British markets will be unavailable. It is problematical to what extent the increasing competition between Australia and Argentina in the exports of live cabtlo — exports of fat beasts from New Zealind must; be by comparison nominal— will fill up the gap caused by the American shrinkage, but certainly present appearances do not indicate such a plethora of fresh meat in British markets' this season as has been the case during the put two > years and up to date. With the revived animation apparent in trades and commerce the scale of livipg among the macseo of population is likely to rise steadily, and greatly it>flueoce demand and prices for fresh meats. The volume ■ of supplies of mutton — frczt-n or chilled — from, all sources may probably be maintained,- bub with tha curtailment of the beef supply mutton should command bitter prices than have ruled lately, while the chilkd article will assuredly I hare the preference. There is one condition essential to the future success of the' meat export trade of the colony if the present advanced views of consumers ia importing countries regarding the healthful' nes* acd qualities of tho meat offered for sale to them deserve consideration. In the United States centres of the meat export industries the Government make the microscopical inspection of the cat cases of all animals slaughtered compulsory, and enforce heavy, penalties for non-obcervance of the law. Similar legislation is bow lought for by stockowners in the Australian colonies, 00 that a practical certificate of hsalth of an animal when slaughtered could be attached to the carcase for export aa a guarantee of the wbolesomeness of the meat. This would ba a judicious courie to follow on the part of the ruling powers in Australia, because the existence o£ pleuro-pneumonia among the flocks acd herds therein is so widely known that suspicions of disease might attach to carcase meat exported, and should the practice be enforced the example muat be followed in this colony in order to maintain the high reputation of our exports, as a Home journal in commenting on the outbreak of swine fever here remarked that " New Zealand may soon have occcasion to show that her sheep and cattle are as free from dise.-.sa as has been alleged."