SCARCITY OF MEAT

Otago Witness, Issue 3148, 15 July 1914, Page 20

SCARCITY OF MEAT

WILL IT BECOME PERMANENT. WORLD COMPETITION FOR SUPPLIES. (Fbom Odb Own Coebespondent.) LONDON, May 20. The Times has a notable article on the coming scarcity of meat —a scarcity which in the opinion of some authorities, must inevitably become permanent. “ The history of the scarcity is the history of increased meat consumption,” says The Times. " Meat-eating has always been a feature of prosperity. When a man’s position in life improves, he generally increases the range of his diet, adding to it more of the stimulating foods; of which meat is the chief example. The vast stream of emigration from Poland, Italy, and other European counties to the United States of America did qot at first greatly affect the consumption of meat in that country. These immigrants live largely upon a diet of cereals. Prosperity, however, has altered this. The settler's, year- by year, join the ranks of meat-eaters. Meanwhile Japan has appeared in the market, and various European countries, including Russia, are beginning to absorb larger meat supplies. The results are well known to those interested in the meat trade and are viewed by them with considerable misgiving. The United States, which used to send huge consignments of meat to, this country, has sent nothing at all during the last two years, instead it has abolished its meat tariff and is importing on a large scale. At present the keenest competition is taking place between British and American buyers for the available supplies of Argentine and Australian meat. POSITION VERY SERIOUS. A prominent importer stated that the position was exceedingly serious. The price of cattle had gone up very much, and was increasing. It was bound to increase still further. While the population of the United States had gone up 10,000,000 the numbers of cattle had declined by 8,000,000. Breeders were snatching the opportunity of high prices and selling without regard to future necessities. The Continental demand for veal, too, was responsible for the slaughter of immense numbers of calves in Argentina. “In my view,” this merchant stated, “we have a real and absolute meat scarcity at present, which in a year or two will have become acute. Britain will probably be forced to grow her own meat as in the old days, or to pay something like famine prices.” This., view was supported by another .very large importer, who declared that already the very high price of canned meat showed how difficult it was to obtain supplies. “ ‘ The prospects of obtaining supplies,’ ho said, ‘ are gloomy in the extreme. Democratic Governments tend to split up large ranches into small agricultural holdings, while industry steadily encroaches upon the available grazing land.’ MEAT A LUXURY. “It appears, therefore, that wo are rapidly approaching a time when meat may again be numbered among the luxuries. The effects of this change _ would be farreaching and important British farming and stock rearing may be expected to enter upon an entirely new phase, in which scientific methods will be of the greatest practical value. Labour will be attracted back to the land, and if the people want meat they will have to get it home-grown rather than from abroad. Nor will the workers lightly surrender the generous meat diet, the advantages of which they have learned to appreciate, and upon them the scarcity and high prices will press hard. A meat diet is widely believed in as an essential to hard physical toil, and there are no substitutes which approach the original in nutritive value. “ It takes about four years to bring an animal to boof-yielding age. This fact must bo set against the idea that in Mexico and Siberia the world possesses great oattlebcaring countries at present not fully developed. No doubt in time these countries will contribute to the world’s supply. When that time comes, however, the world’s consumption will have advanced still further. There can be no doubt that at a moment when the-Australian Government is instituting inquiry into the state of its moat produotion and exportation—an inquiry rnade necessary by the establishment of American firms and works in that country Britain cannot afford to sit with folded hands. WASTE IN KILLING CALVES.

The Meat Trade Journal admits that the situation is serious in respect of all forms of meat food, especially cattle, and prophesies: So f*ir as we can judge, the prospect points to much higher prices than we have yet seen.” It is pointed o.ut that “ English and Scottish feeders have not been able to secure one-third of their usual store supplies, with the result that animals in forward condition are realising fat stock prices. There are other factors at work, such as the diversion of supplies from Argentina and Australia and the opening up of Continental markets.” Now that the United States, with nearly 100 million people, is becoming an importer, and Germany, with a population of 60 mil-

lion, is intercepting supplies (Australian mutton) that once came to England, the old balance of production and consumption is quite upset; and, as one of the greatest authorities has said, “natural reproduction cannot easily overtake an increasing demand.” In England there is steady diminution. There were 86,521 fewer beasts, 1,512,312 fewer sheep, and 165,357 fewer pigs in 1912 than in 1911, and this loss was increased last year. The question is engaging the attention of the Board of Agriculture, which has just received a strong representation from the London Cattle Food Trade Association with regard to the slaughtering of calves. The ' association estimates that “over a million calves are prematurely killed yearly, and in no other industry is there such a wanton waste of money-making material.” The conclusion is that “something should be done at once to, check this, as it is i rgently necessary that we should increase our own production and depend less on foreign supplies, which- are slowly but surely decreasing. Further, the continually increasing prices of store and fat stock cripple farmers, and in many cases prevent them from properly running their farms, with the result that many thousands of acres are overstocked.”