MEAT EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1935, Page 6

MEAT EXPORTS.

The recent criticism of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board for, the manner in which the embargo on the export of certain classes tAf meat was applied was heartfelt enough. But the Dominion action seems to have been easily outclassed in ineptitude by the authorities in Australia or Great Britain. The Australian exporter finds himself suddenly unable to ship supplies of chilled beef, and that he must ship it as frozen meat or See the shipments spoiled. Australia has taken the development of the chilled beef trade very seriously. In view of the huge areas within the Commonwealth that cannot for many years be anything but cattle stations, and that, the market for frozen beef is steadily deteriorating, it is little wonder that Australia saw in the export of chilled beef some relief for her languishing cattle industry. A good deal of capital has been sunk in the enterprise, Breeding stock of the right nature has been purchased, alterations have beep made in cattle-rearing methods to bring about earlier maturity, meat works have been altered in design and special shipping installed for the carriage of the chilled commodity. The transport of chilled beef has become commercially successful, .but it needs only a few arbitrary interruptions such as that reported yesterday to upset the most successful commercial planning and enterprise. It may be that the Commonwealth authorities misunderstood or misinterpreted the instructions from Britain, or it may be that the London market found itself overcongested and an immediate halt in supplies was considered essential. Whatever the cause, the producer in Australia is being asked to bear the cost of the miscalculation. He is asked to see a high-class commodity made one that is already a drug in the market, and one for which he can expect only a low price. If the action in Great Britain is a foretaste of what will happen when the Ottawa agreements expire the need for a stronger representation of the Dominion’s case than can be hoped for from Mr. Forbes, and a few officials who cannot, of course, take any part in the actual discussions, is plainer than ever.