FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12411, 22 March 1911, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

SHIPMENT TO SWITZERLAND

(Press Assn.— By Telegraph.— Copyright.) SYDNEY March 21. The first parcel of fro/en mutton from Australia to Switzerland is being shipped by tho steamer Sussex, the Swiw authorities having given permission. The importation consists of 500 specially selected carcases, sent via London and Antwerp by the Colonial Meat Export Company. Mr Hughes, managing direc tor of the company, urging the import ance of tho new markets, says that a single market is easily oversupplied. making it easy to manipulate prices below a profitablo shipping level. Referring to present low prices at London, he suggested that they aro possibly due to Homo distributors anticipating .early largo supplies of Australian meat, the result of the good season, but more likely to the methods adopted by the Americans, Avho have captured seventy per centum of tho Argentine trade. 'Their motto is: 'VFirst to spoil the market at the consuming centre, then the consumer and the producer Avill bo at your mercy.". AUCKLAND, this day. In Auckland, as elsewhere, there seems to be an indication of coming shortage m beof and mutton supplies. On inquiries, being mado it was ascertained that for freezing purposes the prospects aro that this season's output will fall short of last year's by a considerable margin. Owing, no doubt, to the fact thai last season the beef market was over stocked, there has m many districts been a wholesale slaughter of young calves. The dry Avcather m Auckland during # tho summer is also considered to have had some effect on tho mutton trade, and supplies for freezing purposes are beginning to shorten. Tho fact that so much neAv land is being settled m the Auckland province also, accounts to ' a certain extent for the absorption of a large number of sheep which might have otherwise been frozen for export.