FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13682, 26 August 1908, Page 7

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

■ .TheCC. ..and D. Company's Meat Market, mail report'dated London, July 10th, stales that the importation of-Jive sheep and cai'tle and-fresh meat for the half y> ar wiift 250 lons less, than for. the same period of. 1907, a decrease of ihree-quarteifi i of a million carcases of frozen mutton and lamb, a decrease of chilled beef of abcut 200 tone, liut an increase of 159,000 quartets and -pieces of- frozen beef. Live cattle and sheep were nearly all from the United Slates. Much fewer from Canada, a few hundred only from the Continent. The United Stales, supplied more-than hall of the chilled beef, South America a gcod second. New Zealand sent little' more than half as'many frozen sheep as South America, but eight times as many lambs. New Zealand's total was 2,429,000 carcases; South'-America's,-1,752,000-; Australia's, 1,134,000 (about four-fifths of these were lambs). The imports of live animals and fresh meat fell off in value by nearly two millions, but there was no excitement, about, shortage of supplies, and at the end, of the period there was a noticeable decline in beef prices. The report says:—There is nothing'important to note in respect to mutton, prices are practically unchanged', although there appears- to bs a weaker tendency jn the frozen eeeiion. English wethers are selling at 6d, to 7d per lb., Scotch at 7Jd to 7-|d., and Dutch at 6d, to the latter being in plentiful supply. Complaints come from all 'quarters that the demand, especially for lrozen mutton, is very dull. Enquiry for New Zealand mutton shows' no signs of improvement, and prices are practically unchanged. There is, however, a tendency for values to weaken a little. North Islands are quoted at 3§d to 3|d per lb., for good, v.sel, ■fill quality, but inferior grades are sellingj«s low as 3|d per lb. The quotation for Canterbury mutton has not changed for some -weeks. [Jtocks of New Zealand lamb have been added i-:{ during the month by the arrival 0f'287,16<1 carcases, but t!i? aggregate figures for the period from the Ist- January to date show a decrease of 212,171 carcases when compared with the corresponding period of last year. As,. however, advices from, the Colony refer to rapid recovery from the effect's o.£ the drought earlier in the year, and there is now a large number of lambs afloat, it appears probable that there will nob be any great in the total imports over the year. Prices show no quotable change, although a little weakness hat; been apparent, which, however, is not expected to be of any consequence. Second class lambs, owing to their relatively lower price, are in better'demand than best Canterburys, the general range of values being from s|d to -5Jd per lb. for all grades, the output being steady and satisfactorv.