SERIOUS OPPOSITION TO THE FROZEN MUTTON TRADE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3719, 9 March 1885, Page 3

SERIOUS OPPOSITION TO THE FROZEN MUTTON TRADE.

The “ Evening Star’s” London cor- , respondent, under date, January 16, lays :

New Zealand and Anglo-New Zealand merchants interested in the frozen mutton trade, must prepare during the next two years to encounter opposition of a more formidable and trying nature than any they have so far met with. Hitherto the importations from the River Plate have been of a desultory nnd second-rate character. The mutton however sold fairly well ; indeed, so satisfied are the proprietors and directors of the vast eftdndas at the River Plate that they can place on the London market meat equal to, bqjt cheaper than, the New Zealand article, that they have formed a regular league, offensive and defensive, for the purpose of pushing their wares, and chartered a lino of regular meat steamers (hitherto engaged in the North American beef trade) to convey the carcases of mutton to England. To under-rate this competition would be folly, more especially as it is almost ocrtain to be associated with very large importations of Dutch sheep, pronounced by experts fully equal to English. At the same time, Australian exporters will probably suffer more seriously than the Hew Zaplanders, who can scarcely come to the ground whilst the quality of their meat is kept np to the present level. By way of proof that the River Plate people have already commenced operations, I may mention that since the beginning of the year 10,000 sheep have arrived from South America, as against 13,000 from New Zealand, and that the mutton from both places is now quoted wholesale at the same prices. The metropolis only absorbs4ooo carcasses a week, and the demands from the provinces are not very largo at present either. To-day’s “ British Australasian ” says the River Plate Company are trying to push their mutton on tho provinces by offering to send single carcases direct from London at s|d per ib, while the price of their meat at Smithfield is quoted at 4£d lo 4%d per lb. The following arc the present prices;—

New Zealand mutton —3s 4d to 3s 6d per stone of 81b. Melbourne mutton—3s 2d to 3s 41 per ftone of 81b. Sydney mutton —2a 8d to 2a lOd per stone of 81b. Elver Plate mutton—2a 8d to 2a lOd par atone of 81b.