THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 4

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The figures supplied to a contemporary by the principal frozen meat companies of Canterbury, showing the decline iv fat sheep for freezing purposes, appear to verify the opinion often expressed that by exporting such a large number of carcases of lamb New Zealand flockowners have been depleting their flocks to a serious extent. Attention has been directed to this phase of the frozen meat export trade on various occasions and from different sources, but it requires the object lesson of actual experience to bring the matter home. Taking the figures for July and August for -the past four years, the falling off in fat sheep put through the freezer by the Canterbury meat companies is serious. For 1897, 189S, 1899, and 1900 the number of sheep slaughtered are given at 206,338, 138,155, 189,771, and 67,320 respectively. Such a sharp downward gradation points to the need for changing our methods, for it certainly looks as if we are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. " The total export jp-f lamb from New Zealand during the year 1899 was 1,238,925, as against 233,500 for the whole of Australia and 3379 lor the River Plate — our chief rivals. During the same year we sent 2,011,175 carcases of mutton across the seas, so that it will be seen at a glance the proportion of lamb represents a more serious drain thanany flocks can long with safety maintain. The result of our heavy exports of lamb is that old ewes have to be retained for breeding purposes. Of course the process cannot continued indefinitely, and at the present moment flock-owners are beginning to awake to the consequences of their short-sighted policy. New~Zealand has been ransacked for " Prime Canterbury," and, in spite of that, the quality cannot be maintained. There is really only one way of getting over the difficulty, and that is by considerably reducing bhe exports of lamb for a year or two, or even stopping it altogether for a time. If the frozen meat export trade is to be maintained as a permanent industry it is imperative that the highest standard of quality be kept up by retaining young vigorous animals for breeding from. It is a suicidal policy at any rate, to send the pick of. the j lambs away, while culls and weeds are kept for breeding. Yet that is what we have been practically doing, and the consequences of our wrong practice are I beginning to be felt. New Zealand has taken the lead as £b,e chief exporting

country of frozen mutton, and having attained that proud position, we should be careful not to do anything to pull down the reputation gained.