ARGENTINA COMPETITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 7

ARGENTINA COMPETITION.

Australia has a very active and potent rival in Argentina. This statement is. of course, a truism, but one ia reminded of its force when the following Time/ telegram, from Buenos Ayres, is read:— "The total wool clip is 225,000 tons, and it is better in quality than the previous year. Bixtv per cent, of this .has already beet) «old. Of the lirweed crop, which is now harvested raid available, fte exportable surplus is 350,000 tons, or 40 ncr cent, above the last crop. Tlip_ wheat fields are in good condition, and reaping hasjgsominenced in the Enlre Rios and North Santa Fe. The probable exportable surplus is 2,000.000 tons. There is still 150,000 tons unshipped of last years crop." It is, however, in men I — live stock and frozen meat — -.vhere the full iorce of the Argentine competition conies in. Both in quantity and price Plate frozen meal lias forged ahead of Australian, and the best sorts now threaten to compete w;ith New Zealand. Excluding lambs, Argentina has exported to this country, from January 1 to November 17, 1699, 2.190.000 carcases against New Zealand's 1,690,000 and Australia's 930,000. She also exported in that period 80,000 ouarters beef and 350,000 head of sheep and 78JO0O cattle. Argentina pursues the business of meat export with singular determination, though for pcveral months her stock shippers have been sadly put about by the impracticable Government regulations lecentlv established ; however, these are now modified, as the Government saw that the trade would otherwise be killed.— British Australian.