The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1909. FROZEN MEAT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13838, 25 February 1909, Page 4

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1909. FROZEN MEAT.

Tlip annual reviews of thp frozen meat trade published )).v the ]<>sirliiifv distributing linns' in London are now coming to hiinc'l by mail, and they contain a large amount of interesting information for those concerned in thp production and preparation of ni o j,t for export from Now Zealand. The reliance of the British retail butcher and the British consumer upon supplies of •foreign meat is a, growing one, and now amounts, AY. Weddel and Co. state, to 35 per cent, of'the trade of the one and the. consumption of tho other. Of this &5 per cent., 21) for cent, is frozen meat. ■ Twenty years ago, the imports wpip only 12j per cent., and frozen imports only 2} per* cent, of the total consumption. Assuming that Weddel 'and Co.'s table refers to the consumption of beef, mutton and lamb, only, there wouhi appear to hp a vast increase' possible in the supplies of meat from the Southern Hemisphere. The number of cattle in the Ignited Kingdom is given as 11;; millions, and of sheep 31 :V millions, and from this stock was drawn Ou per cent. •of the meat suppl; h-.-t ypar. In Australia, New Zealand." and Argentine, thpre are 40 million cattle and. 176 million sheen. The 'total consumption is of course only a rough estimate, but however rough, itindicates that the British grazier gets a high proportion of marketable meat from his 'flocks and herds. The introduction of foreign meat in large quantities has not affected the Home grazier si much in regard to the demand for his produce as in regard to the prices he is able to get for it (though the best Home-grown meat is as dear as it was twenty ."years ago). The effect of the large importations of cheap foreign meat has been to increase the average consumption, Weddel and Co. say, by 20 per cent. The history of the trade of last year is already ancient history. . What is of interest and importance to-day is the prospect of the current year. On this point Y\'e.ddel and Co. are by no means optimistic. Much, they say, depends upon whether there will be that general revival of trade that is hoiked for; and if there does arise an improved demand through that cause,' there is likely to he an increased supply of frozen meat. Beef and lamb, thp latter "because of its ever-growing popularity," may maintain their prices, hut mutton values do not promise so well. The C.C. and T). Company says that the position is far from encouraging, and it is impossible to indulge in sanguine views; purchasing power is restricted, and the rate of meat consumption can only be maintained at low prices. So far as can be judged there will he larger quantities of frozen meat to bo disposed of, and there are no symptoms of any abatement of the, competition between importers. In this connection a couple of ■ charts* or diagrams which accompany the C.C. and 7). Company's report may be mentioned. One of them.-shows at a glauce. how New Zealand is keeping ahead of South America and Australia in shipments of mutton and lamb, but not ahead of both together ;■ the second chart shows the range of top Smithl'ield quotations for best qualities of the. various classes of colonial and South American frozen meat during the twelve months of last year. In this it is pleasing to see that of the lines across, the chart indicating prices, that for New Zealand lamb is w-01l above and well separated from all others. . Australian lamb lies below, and then comes Canterbury mutton and next North Island mutton, and bplow these South American and'. Australian mutton. In' August the line of quotations for Canterbury mutton .is interrupted, meaning that 'there was none on the market, and through, the gap rush up the lines denoting the prices of New Zealand and South American hindquarters of beef—to tumble down again through the New Zealand mutton line when; supplies of the latter were resumed in September. Weddel and Co.' furnish similar charts, of fuller information, as they include the top prices of Scotch mutton, and U.S.A. and Plate chilled beef, but. the lines are less easy to follow. Scotch mutton ran high above New Zealand lamb throughout -. last year; so also did U.S.A. chilled beef, except in February, March, and one week in November, and on two occasions, in June and August, Plate chilled beef fetched higher prices than New Zealand lamb. No distinction is made in the charts between "North Island " and "Canterbury" lamb, and Weddel and Co. state that,there was not much difference in the prices. In this connection Canterbury graziers should note the remarks made Try the chairman of the Christchurch Meat Company at the annual meeting on Tuesday, about the necessity for maintaining the reputation of.'prime Canterbury." It is admitted that North Island breeders and graziers have greatly improved the quality of their lambs'for export. Canterbury originally, ami without effort, ' acquired a name for the superiority of its output. Has any effort been made to maintain that superiority, comparable with what has been made in the North Ishyid to bring theirs up to the Canterbury standard?