STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dhotze.

Weekly Stack Sales: Biunaide, Wednesdays Aahburton, Tuesdays Addington, Wednesdays Waiareka Railway Junction, Tuesdays ~, , . ~. Fortnightly: Bulclutfaa, Fridays Gore, Tuesdays Oamaru, Tuesdays' InYercargili, Tuesdays

[ Monthly: Ngapara, first Thursday in each month Glenavy,. second Wednesday in each month Dustroon, second Fnday in each month Clinton, Palmerston, Win ton, and Waikcuaiti. Periodically: Heriot, Kelso, Kyeburn

There were big yardings of iambs at both Addmgto.'i and Burnside last week, and prices were down 6d par head at both markets. The price is still good, however. A prime ooib lamb is worth 13s at the works, but the keen competition occasionally runs the price a little higher. The iambs are running light, and several buyers of drafts of lambs have been rather disappointed when the weights were examined attar killing. A good many of the lambs yarded at both markets were unfinished, and eventually went to graziers. There is a good demand in Canterbury for forward store sheep, both wethers and ewes, and also for well forward lambs, and a very strong demand for two, four, and six-tooth ewes. . Export buyers compete, keenly for moderate weight mutton and ewes.

There is an unusually good demand for mutton for export this season, and this will tend to keep prices good for local demand at the yards later on. Shipments landing in London from New Zealand; will be fairly fceavy in about six weeks' time, and only then'shall we be able to judge as to the future of the market. It is, however, probable that moderate prices will have to be taken to increase consumption and prevent a glut, for supplies are going to be fully as heavy as last season. Meantime the London market has improved, as up to the present New Zealand lamb and mutton has only arrived in small quantity.

The following extract from Weddell's Review of the Meat Trade is worth noting : —" l n the United Kingdom really prime home-fed beef was at all times scarce and dear. Many farmers now prefer dairying to fattening cattle, and there is no sign of any increased ' supply of homegrown beef.' As we can grow prime beef in New Zealand, it seems a pity the trade is not cultivated. We reported less prime beef and more inferior cow beef last year than previously. I hope yet to £ci3i prime beef going Home from New Zealand under the chilled process. All countries seem to be procuring less beef whilst those producing lamb and mutton are decidedly increasing. There is little doubt too that the public demand for beef is increasing more than for mutton. I think this question of exporting beef from New Zealand demands more consideration than it receives."" We don't seem at present to have energetic men like Mr Brydone and others who supported him, in

new, untried ventures such a? the export of frozen meat was at one time. We have probably as able men, but perhaps it is that at present we arisi doing so well that there is nothing to force us to consider 6nch a question as the increase of our export of beef. It may *aot always be so, and it will take a lot of time to get our catttei herds up, for they have deteriorated sadly, and in dairying districts particularly. If one had an order for 500 head of prime bullock,- for instance, it would-be hard o get them now promptly, in Southland. This was not so former!}."

I In the United States the exportable surplus of Imp cattle and chilled beef is ! rapidly getting to a vanishing point, owing mainly to the increased consumption within | the United States. Their export of sheep, I too, has declined from 294,804- in 1904- to 64,218 in 1908, and looks like coming quite ; to.ah end. Canada's export of cattle also j decreased by 7493 head in 1909. In sheep . they have practically no export. With re- ! gard ttf European countries the supply of j meat is not by any means keeping pace ' with the needs of the increasing population. j Holland alone sjends any quantity of Eruti ton, but even this is decreasing. They I sent 9674 tons in 1909, as against 12,000 to 14,000 tons in 1908, and during the five I preceding years.

N<- progress was made in getting Continental markets opened to frozen meat in 1909, and the prospect of doing so seems remote, despite the fact that the high prices ruling make meat a luxury beyond the bulk of this masses; but the Agrarian party still controls to its own advantage the imposition.of duties upon foods.

The Continental farmers are in this respect better off than colonial farmers, who have not, and apparently never will nave, U.ny say in the imposition or neimoval of Customs duties. Great Britain now looks upon the River Plate as the largest source of meat supply for the bulk, of the beef, and a very early portion of the mutton and lamb supply. The Argentine flocks of sheep number 67,211,754 head, and their flocks of cattle. 29,116,625 head. Australia, has, it is . supposed, 90,000,000 sheep and 11,000,000 head of ■cattle. New Zealand has 24,000,000 sheep and about 1,800,000 head of cattle.

The London correspondent of the Pastoralists' Review, writing on January 7, says:—

Leaving the past year for more recent movements, business in frozen • meat opened this year with a little better tone, due to a short supply of frozen mutton and also to the fact that stocks of New Zealand lamb are how considerably reduced. There are no marked advances in prices: the movement, however, is in the right direction, though beef is not participating. Quotations in regard to that are weaker; but one" does not expect heavy frozen beef sales about this time of the year. Australian lambs are very plentiful; the rule from 3id to 3|d —a wide range, which denotes the variety and quality. As to mutton, Canterbury is extremely scarce, and no quotation that could be given would be a guide. North Island (N.Z.) are very firm at 32d, and South American is worth 3|d for lieht sheep. Frozen • beef is very flat at about 3 3-16 d for New Zealand hinds and 2fd for New Zealand fores; South American hinds are about 3d and fores 2gd. There is a little Australian beef about, but there has been a set-back with regard to that. A few months ago Australian frozen beef was on an equality with the others. Recent shipments, however, appear to have lost the position, and now it is much cheaper than any other; it is about 2gd for hinds and 29-16 d for fores. Latterly this meat, it is said, has not been as good and ripe as it might have. been; probably people have got some sort of prejudice against it. At any rate, the position is as stated, and certainly the idea that recent shipments have not been as good as others has been worked for all it is worth. AH that can be saic> about the opening of the market this year is that importers appear a. little more optimistic than they were before Christmas. The feeling is less gloomy.

The following gives some idea as to the possibilities of the chilled meat trade (the contract referred to deals with only two out of many works in the River Pla*:e j district) : "Syren and • Shipping" says the mucb-talked-of meat contract for the Swift Beef Company has been settled, Messrs H. and • W. Nelson having arranged to take 1200 tons of chilled beef weekly from the La Plata and La Blanc?, works of the company. The history of this contract, which has been in the market for the past eighteen months, i 3 an interesting one. At first the meat was to be carried' in 14J knot steamers, which were to sail from La Plata every' Friday, and deliver their cargo in London on the folowing Thursday fortnight. The rate obtained was £5 10s a ton. This scheme fell through for the reason that the meat company wished to impose a heavy penalty for every day over twenty occupied on the voyage. This proposition was followed by one put forward by Messrs Blacks, of Olasgow, who were working in conjunction with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. The steamers were to be practically a duplicate of those in the first scheme, save that they were to have a, speed of 12 knots, and were to carry 100 first-class passengers. Messrs Blacks held a contract at the same rate as

was first secured, but not being able tci carry out their scheme by Ist November, Messrs Nelson stepped in and obtained the meat at £i Is 8d per ton, to be carried in: vessels performing the voyage from- La Plate to London in 22 days.

The shipments of dairy produce fronQ (New Zealand in February were as under:'/ Butter—Ruahine 40,937 boxes, Orari 1699 boxes, Arawa 26,202 boxes, Mamari 2033 boxes;—total, 70,873 boxes. This \va6 adecrease on last year of 7452 boxes. -Cheese—Ruahine 14,207 crates, Orari{ 13,630 crates, Arawa 12,843 erat:a#, Mamari 6656;—t0ta1, 47,336; less loss ex 7000—40,336 crates. This gives an in< crease on February last year of 6469 cratesV

The Morayshire, for West of England,, sailed on February 26, with 723 boxes but--, ter and 7606 crates cheese. Las' year th« February shipment was 3083 boxes butter, j 3166 crates cheese. There was thus a largo, decrease in butter, but the cheese export; was more than double the quantity shipped in February last year to West of England ports. Of the above there was shippec! at Lyttelton 453 - boxes butter and 2143 crates cheese, at Dunedin 3584 boxes butts..and 3182 crates cheese, at Bluff no butter and 11,775 crates cheese. This is an in-' crease* of over 30 per cent, in butter an<J 20 per cent, in cheese on last Februaff.

A good deal is being written from Lon< don re the action of many consignment' houses in selling forward butter and cheese.) Butter values more particularly are said to have been lowered thereby considerably, 1 and a lot of cheese was also sold forward before arrival at lower prices than pre-i vailed when the steamers arrived. This! selling forward is by no -means a. propec action on the part of those handling con-.' signments. Thej receive 2 to 3 per cent.commission, and are supposed to sell on; arrival. This selling forward is mrajreljj e.i.f. business, which any firm would b* glad to do at per cent, commission, a* there is neither risk nor finance involved in such business. Our system of consigiw

inent to a multitude, of.■ houses is a mistake. \ A few good houses handling New Zealand produce x>uld do better.

The South Island Dairy Association have now" drafted a scheme for selling produce monthly, and also of consigning to two selected firms in London. This scheme has been submitted to factories for their consideration, and the matter will be finally dealt with at the annual meeting on Juno 1; Meantime factories should meet their neighbouring factories and talk this mattei over.