MEAT TRADE WITH THE EAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 10

MEAT TRADE WITH THE EAST.

Any chance there is of finding new markets for such products we are in the habit of designating as “primary” should be scrutinised with the greatest of care. There may come a day, perhaps, when free export of meat, dairy products, etc., will not be permitted—with interest of consumers at this end of the world—but the time is not yet. If there looms up a new channel of demand our slogan today should be “Go for it.” We must have foreign money if settlers are to “carry on” on dear lands. We read with interest an interesting letter which follows, and which appeared in the Australian Meat Trade’s Journal of this present month. It is written to Mr J. B. Cramsie, the chairman of the Australian Meat Council, from a well-known AngloIndian, upon the prospects of trade with India for meat and other Australian produce. Although New Zealand may not participate in all the good things going, there is no insuperable reason something should not be done with respect to our mutton and possibly other produce than beef. One never knows: “As I understand that the Australian Meat Council is about to commence negotiations for trade with India, and having been a resident of Calcutta, with a knowledge of their language, I have been in a position to glean information, which will probably be of use to the Council. “In India the frozen meat trade at present is certainly not in evidence. There ■are no refrigerators and no refrigerator trucks specially made for transport of meat. From my association with the railway in India, I think I can safely say that their trucks, being mostly steel box trucks, are easily adaptable, and as most of the railways are company-owned, there is no doubt that they would co-operate in fixing up refrigerator transport the moment the traffic offered. “The matter of cold storage will require the immediate attention of the promoters of a company which is now being formed with a view to erecting cold storage works in India for Australian primary products. “In the meantime, an idea of the type of meat likely to be required would be useful. Beef is only killed in certain centres in India, owing to caste prejudices, and even then is very cheap and inferior. Beef sells at 6 annas to 8 annas (equivalent to 6d and 8d). Mutton is extensively sold at on average price of 12 annas to 14 annas (equivalent to Is and Is 2d). The Indian sheep is very small and illnourished, and, in fact, in very many oases goat is sold as mutton. This should provide an excellent market for Australian heavy and inferior mutton, which is difficult to export to European countries. “I see no reason why the Imperial army should not be approached almost immediately, with a view to army contracts; also the big hotels in the iarge towns, who would arrange their own cold storage. The oountry is, of course, extremely hot, but if arrangements were adequate there is no reason that a large trade should not be opened up. There are at present in Australia numbers of Commonwealth boats lying idle, all fitted for conveyance of frozen meat—and there are certainly crews available. “I am not setting myself up as an expert on meat, but I claim to have lived sufficiently long in India to know the conditions, and as I was connected with the railways, I claim to know to what extent railways would co-operate with frozen meat trade with India. I think the railway part of the question may be safely called minor, as railways in India are always open for more traffic and will put themselves out for a regular trade. ‘Arrangements as to conveyance by passenger trains would have to be made as goods trains would not be satisfactory to convey meat—they take much too long on the journey, on account of the long distances between towns—but I do not anticipate that there would be any trouble in this direction, as fish and fresh fruit are at present conveyed by passenger trains.”