FROZEN MEAT SHIPMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 13

FROZEN MEAT SHIPMENTS.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES. WELLINGTON, March 27. the latest returns supplied by the New Zealand-Meat - Producers’ Board give the following increases in the shipments of trozezn meat from the Dominion to March 15 compared with the correspondin'’ period of last year:—Beef, 59,944 quar“ ters; lamb, 231,400 carcasses; pork, 7582 carcasses. There was a decrease of 52,117 carcasses of mutton. The total shipments 01 frozen meat from October 1, 1927, to March 15, 1928, were as follow:—

Total 76,710 606,429 2,216,365 54,809 lhe destinations of the above shipments were as follow:— Beef Mutton Lamb Pork Quar- Car- Car- Car- , ters. casses. casses. casses. London 52,592 623,389 1,951,022 30,103 West

Total 76,710 666,429 2,216,365 54,809 The total shipments for the corresponding period of last season, namely, October 1, 1926, to March 15, 1927, were as follow: — Beef Mutton Lamb Pork Quar- Car- Car- Car-. ters. casses. casses. casses, London 8,189 676,018 1,711,030 23,232 West

Total 16,766 718,546 1,084,965 47,227 The total killings of stock for export at all Dominion works during the present season from October 1, 1927, to March 15, 1928 (with the figures for the corresponding period of last season for comparison), were as follow: —

The stocks of frozen meat on hand in cool stores in the Dominion a s at March 14 are given below, with th e figures for the corresponding date of last year:— March 15, March 15,

Sundries ... 15,901 13,462 The stocks of' frozen meat 'loaded into steamers that had not sailed from ; New Zealand as at March 15 were as follow, the figures for the corresponding date ,of last year being given for comparison

LONDON. WOOL SALES. : ’ -- .. '-‘.am.* (From Our Special Correspondent.) GOOD SOUND COMPETITION ' CONTINUES. LONDON, January 26. One fact which is having to be recognised by all users of wool is that it is a very deaf commodity. No doubt it is very encouraging to all growers and sellers to know that good prices can be made, and we can only repeat what we have-/ frequently said before, that,; importers and topmakers in this, country have no desire other than that , the growing and .selling end of the trade shall be able to. do .we 11.... At the same tithe' thd -fast .is’ being impressed, upon >theni> that they- missed, a splendid opportunityduring.'the. earlier part of tji^.,ge.ajson. sc 'far as the buying of the raw material js concerned, and they have now no alterna-

tive but to continue operations at the most favourable prices possible. The real problem before the trade to-day is whether the response from the ultimate consuming end of the trade will justify the risks which are having to ba taken. Though the home trade has already operated extensive!}' at the current London . sales, all requirements against contracts .for tops and yarns have not been filled, and recent buying in Australia has shown that prices there are very little below the London level. Ihe extended operations in Australia and “ New Zealand on. Bradford account are n ? J o ubt indicative of a fair measure of confidence, but for the time being new business in Bradford has fallen off, and tops are still being delivered at substantially lower prices than the current quotations in this market. No doubt the output has been improved, and the majority of topmakers will be busy giving delivery for several months. The immediate question is whether any wool which is-now bought speculatively will turn out to be a sound investment, but so far as we can gather topmakers to-day are not disposed to risk the future to any great extent. The present high standard of values is no doubt attributable to the smallness of supplies and tlie increased consumptive, requirements which have developed. The general position among spinners has improved during recent months, but manufacturers are strongly resisting all attempts to bring prices on to a level with original cost, and wholesale piece goods merchants in their turn are showing an attitude which is almost belligerent towards the prices for cloth which the manufacturers are compelled to name. The fact that cloths have been sold at practically no advance is sufficient indication of how things stand at that end of the trade, and the chief hope for the future is a steady development of consumption. MERINOS IN LONDON. Last week only brief reference was made to the first series of London sales, these having commenced only a day or two before the letter was despatched. Even a couple of sales is sufficient to indicate how things are likely to move for the rest of the series, but one always prefers, to have some confirmation or otherwise of an original impression, and now, after the lapse of another week, we are able to say that the auctions have proceeded on very satisfactory lines. The outstanding feature in merinos is that good average combing wools have advanced more than clothing styles, there being keen competition between the home trade and Continental operators. §ome limits have been put in for Germany but home trade representatives have been responsible for topping the market, 33Jd being paid f or New England greasy merinos of 70’s to 80’s quality. Even this price has been exceeded for wools from the same source, 36d having been paid for some exceptionally good lots, and Victorian comebacks have realised 33d. These comeback wools are filling a very useful place in supplying the demands of the trade. Reverting to New South Wales marks, competition between the home trade spinners and Continental buyers has been quite keen for sur-h as GRG in diamond/New England. This one, however, was sold to the Continent at up to 36d which, judging from the condition ot the wool, is equivalent to about 62d clean for the 80’s. Other wools of New South Wales origin have benefited by the combined competition of home trade, German, and Swiss buyers, the result being that prices have tended slightly against the buyer. We estimate that the clean scoured cost of some of the warp wools in these lots would be as much as 53d, which leaves very little margin indeed, considering the present market value of tops in Bradford. Continental buyers have had fair scope among the Queensland wools. The well-known Bowen Downs, which this time is coinin'’ up mostly combing 70's quality, though a little deeper in some of the lots and rather seedy,, touched 27Jd. Victorian wools have , most been shared by Bradford and France, good topmaking '7os selling at up to 50d clean and 64’s at 47d ’ Yorkshire buyers have also operated extensively in the West Australian offerings,- and we consider that the opening advance is fully maintained. Taken all round, merinos are selling very well indeed. AN ENCOURAGING FEATURE. One encouraging feature of the sales is the general competition of all sections of the industry. This is no doubt partly due to the fact that the types of woo’l wanted were available, and it is recognised that the best thing to do is to get them whilst there is a chance. In. neither quantities nor selection will there be any scope for: users delaying operations very much during the remainder of the season, and the obligations of home trade spinners . and manufacturers are such that, though they will need to operate with their usual discretion, they will not “ av .e to be afraid to take anything at all suitable that conies forward. France Germany, and Switzerland have come’ forward, and so long as there are such indications that home and Continental users want the raw material we can rely upon prices being maintained? France is perhaps not buying so extensively as wo have previously seen; but this is not in. itself a serious matter, for the competition 01 buyers for that'country continues steadily, and this also applies to GeS many. . There are some Anieriean orders in Coleman Street, but. prices are too high for all of them to -be completed. One leading buyer said last. Friday that he had secured during the week the paltry quantity of 18 bales, though he could have done with' 1800. Values for wool on this side of the Atlantic are aby higher, and so long as the wool grown in the United States can be bought at such reasonable prices there cannot be any big trade done in the importation ot colonial produce from London or elsev e yf‘- n . lhe scarcity of clothing slipes °f 48-aO s quality, and which American nulls require, .is: no doubt having its effect upon prices for this description. Ine only source from which these slipes are now obtainable appears to be New Zealand. Six months ago these 48-50’s wools were being bought at around 18d. 10-day the price is . nearer 22d, which is a serious increase for American buyers..particularly -as 3.J cents per. clean scoured, l.b has. .to be wid in .impi. duty. This, however, i-i beside the mark

so far as the course of values in London is concerned. COURSE OF CROSSBREDS. New Zealand greasy new clip crossbreds are scarce, and no doubt this has a good deal to de with the 10 per cent, rise in medium qualities. Slipes are about 5 per cent, dearer than at the close of the previous auctions, though occasionally a spectacular price is paid for halfbred lambs of sS’a quality, French firms still requiring a few of these. The bulk of the halfbreds are selling around 27d--28Ad, prices which are little more than those paid in December. Good threequarterbred lambs are selling anywhere from 22d to 25d, and Lincoln and Leicester lambs of combing length, which arc very scarce, are making about Id more. Perhaps crossbreds have scarcely reached at all times the extreme point seen on the opening day of the series, but, generally speaking, all descriptions are still 5 to 10 per cent, above last series. The writer has always maintained that a rise of around 10 per cent, was enough no matter what manufacturing conditions obtained, and finds no reason for thinking otherwise to-day. Anything beyond such a rise always creates uneasiness among manufacturers and wholesale piece goods merchants, though it may be open to question whether the latter are__always as close touch with the jaw material as they ought to be. Their conception of the situation is.' however, always deserving of recognition.

Beef Quar1927. Mutton CarLamb CarPork CarOct. ters. casses. casses. casses. .. 3,026 123,789 119,176 1,635 Nov. .. 6.450 70.258 65,691 4,246 Dec. .. 18,401 55,473 1928. 236,799 11,189 Jan. .. 24,807 125,093 733,637 20,351 Feb. .. 19,099 219.207 770,841 15,639 Mar. 1-15 4,927 72,609 281,221 1,749 S'

Coast United King. dom Port Said 10,504 39,635 262,143 24,706 3,899 — — . — New York 7,568 1,005 2,500 — Vancouver 1,040 2,490 700 — Halifax 1,047 —

Coast United Kingdom 5,390 42,523 272,182 23,995 Halifax ——• —- 1,753 — Port Said 3,484 — — " ——M

1928 1927 Quarters — season. season. Beef Carcasses— 107,162 25,325 Wether mutton 831.311 860,654 Ewe mutton 479,775 440,457 Lamb Pork (porkers) 3,626,313 3.250,564 88,680 35,233 Pork (baeoners) Freight carcasses— 26,972 24,036 Boneless beef .. 128,286 74.763 Sun dries 28,411 19,259

19281927. Quarters— Beef .. 35,168 • 19,358 Carcasses— . . Wether mutton . .. 388,506 428,364 Ewe mutton ... . .. 312,671 307.Q22 Lamb ... . .. 1,237,120 1,353,436' Pork (porkers) .. 46,217 ' ‘ 7,032 Pork (baconers) . 8,288 4,302 Freight: carcasses— Boneless beef .. 46,518 31,941.

March, 1928. March, 1527. Quarters Beef ... . <.. ... 30,011 r 1,711 Carcasses— AJ ■. ■ ■ ! V Wether mutton ... 697,488 16,614 Ewe mutton ... ... 43,946 10.265 Lamb ... - ...- ... 318,363 53.621 Pork (porkers) 4,510 744 Pork (baconers) 2,088 1,871