FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 20

FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

MARKET MOVEMENTS. SOUTH AFRICAN DEVELOPMENTS. (From Ocr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 19. The frozen meat market in Groat Britain continues to bear a favourable aspect, as far as one can judge of prospects up to the close of the season. Owing to the drought there was some danger that a rush of unfinished mutton on to the market would play havoc with prices, but conditions have changed and the general opinion is that there is not likely to be any over-abund-ance of either Dutch mutton or of Scotch hill lambs to stifle the frozen trade. Shipments, of course, are lighter now, and the statistical position, considering September arrivals together with current stocks, is fairly favourable. Lamb, however, is largely hold, and the policy of owners in -not being anxious to sell, although a slight rise to Sjjd (Canterbury’s 36-421 b) has been effected this month, is not to be wondered at when the high rates at which the meat "was bought are taken into consideration. It need only be added that there is every probability that New Zealand supplies this year will last out sufficiently to keep New Zealand lamb on the market right through. Frozen mutton, too. has been forced higher v id, and New Zealand mutton has been considerably favoured by the light supplies of Australian and River Plato meat on hand. This year, up to the end of this month, River Plato mutton supplies have been 200,000 carcases behind last year’s to the same date. There is threatening at the moment though by the time these lines are in print the trouble may altogether have passed—another difficulty for forthcoming trade, and that is a considerable transport strike, at present starting in the Midland railway routes, and hindering trade from Liverpool to Ixmdon. If this develop anti paralyses traffic, it will greatly affect the frozen and chilled beef trade, but it is hoped that the trouble of last year will be averted in the present instance, and that the strike clouds will disperse. SOUTH AMERICA.

It is still quite impossible to say anything definite as to what the ultimate fate of the chilled beef market may be. Until three weeks ago weekly arrivals in the neignOourhood oi 70,000 quarters were coming in, or nearly twice what a normal demand would have warranted, but now lighter shipments show a suspension of this rush. It is a monotonous see-saw game, in which the Americans do all the rocking. The result in the meantime has been to compel at least one of the Argentine works to close its doors. This is the Frigorifico Argentine, about which rumours have been persistent for two or three months, as I have previously mentioned. Now the cable news has arrived that this undertaking has suspended operations, no date being mentioned for their resuming their output. The company, which has a capital of two million dollars gold, last year- paid a dividend of 7 per cent., and its output capacity has been 500 head of cattle and 2500 sheep per day. There seems no logical conclusion of a struggle of the Kilkenny oat order until only one cat remains, and whether American capital will finally prevail in full is an englOfcSUJg t>pcoUaaiiVJiJ. cauic auViCO at i/lic time of writing also advises one that big prices are being made in the auction yard of the Palermo Agricultural Show, Argentina, whither the Yankee also hies him in the endeavour empty his purse more dramatically than his English cousin. £7OOO has been given for the champion Shorthorn bull, and £4OOO for the reserve champion, and nearly as much for the,champion two-year-old.

CHILLED BEEF FOR NEW YORK. The news of the first shipment—a thousand quarters—of chilled beef from Argentina to New York may be said to inaugurate the new era of the United States’ official acceptance of imported refrigerated meat supplies, although it is true a considerable trade has already been set on foot to the Pacific coast ports. The senders of the meat are the River Plate Fresh Meat Company (Ltd.), who may thus claim the first feather in the cap against the American Trust competitors, though, perhaps, here again the latter may have, for diplomatic reasons, allowed the pioneer shipment to be made by others than themselves. At the time of writing I have not heard how New York State likes the chilled meat, but the consignment will probably be well received and marketed. As I said in a previous letter. New Zealand, to share in this chilled beef export to America, will have to adopt some sterilising process, and this, I fear, under present U.S. import regulations, is barred altogether. ARMY MEAT CONTRACT. The result of the revision of the army meat contract scheme is that Messrs Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Ltd.) have secured the entire order, which has not been split up among various contractors as previously. Messrs Borthwick are to be congratulated on their success in supplying Tommy Atkins with his frozen beef, though the profits in this army supply have long been rather meagre. The complete contracting from one source is reasonably considered to make for efficiency, and possesses obvious advantages over the supply at different quarters through a number of channels. The present contract is only of three months’ duration. FROZEN MEAT IN EUROPE. Although no startling developments are heard of in connection with the frozen moat campaign in Europe, the new industry is persistently gaining little victories here and there. The other day it was the Kaiser speaking favourably of the imports brought to his notice at Posen; then from other parts of Germany and France one hears encouraging reports. Some Queensland beef (2500 carcases) has just been marketed successfully in Bremen. The imports of frozen meat into Italy increased by 9000 tons last year. Before very long there will be news of some importance to report in connection with French imports of frozen meat from two of her colonial possessions— Madagascar and Algeria. Enterprises are being developed in both of these countries, and there is little doubt that the French Ministry will ease the way for this trade if it is started and developed on right lines. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT. (From Odh Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 27. The following land areas will be disposed of by the Lands Department during November :—Auckland, 161 holdings, 9150 acres; Hawke’s Bay, 3 holdings, 8746 acres; Taranaki, 9 holdings, 367 acres; Wellington, 26 holdings, 599 acres; Nelson, 16 holdings, 2749 acres; Marlborough, 1 holding, 20 acres; Otago, 15 holdings, 1587 acres; Southland, 9 holdings, 1368 acres; —total, 240 holdings, 26,586 acres. The total already advertised for disposal in December is 77 holdings, 10,426 acres.