MEAT MARKET REQUIREMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1926, Page 8

MEAT MARKET REQUIREMENTS.

So far as the export of beef is concerned there is information of nee to New Zealand producers in the report made by the Australian Commissioner for Immigration and Development (Mr. Gepp) and a member of the Federal House of Representatives (Mr. Manning) who were appointed by Mr. Bruce, the Federal Premier, a committee to inquire into the requirements of the Smithfield market. As regards the supply of beef the necessity for quickly matured and more evenly graded beef is stressed. During the past few years there has been a marked demand for what the trade terms "baby beef,” i.e. beef from animals not more than two years old. but which have been fed in such a manner as to put on flesh quickly. In Australia, where the greater part of the cattle raising industry is caried on in districts that are scantily watered and where cattle have necessarily to range over large areas, it is not so easy to undertake this quick maturing of young cattle. In New Zealand there should be no difficulty in doing so, and the cost of the special feeding which this entails would he more than offset by the shorter grazing period required and by the added value of the beef in the Smithfield market. Apparently while in London the demand for chilled beef has reduced very considerably that for frozen beef, in the British provinces there is still a strong demand for the latter and here again : the question of the quality of the frozen beef is a large factor in its being saleable in competition with chilled or home grown meat. Notwithstanding that there is still some demand for frozen beef, it is to be hoped that experiments in regard to chilling will be continued here. If a chilled transport system that is not too costly can be evolved, and the beef grown to suit the reuuircmeuts of the market, there is no reason why a revival in this important trade should not be brought about.