HOME MEAT MARKET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16495, 4 August 1921, Page 2

HOME MEAT MARKET.

» SLUMP IN STOCK EXPECTED ! I At a meeting of the Canterbnrv A- 1 and P. Association yesterday a letter was read from Mr B. Setb-Smitli, who is now in Britain, in which several matters wero touched on of interest to farmers. Mr Seth-Smith mentioned that at tli© time of writing the drought had not broken and in London only Glia of rain had fallen in twelve months. He was quite at a loss to understand why such a low price was ruling for beef, lambs and mutton in New Zealand. The prospects at Smithfield were good for new season’s lambs, but for sheep everything was uncertain. Tt would be impossible to get buyers to quote for forward delivery, ex-ship, unless the meat was in sight, and to arriro in a week or a fortnight.

After spending several weeks in Suffolk, and visiting sales, and speaking to the farmers. Mr Seth-Smith was convinced that the public had. had so much stale meat of late from abroad that many wero now eating smaller quantities of home-killed meat, though the prime was much higher. Fat cattle were bringing from £45 to -CGO; pigs, £ls to £2O; fat sheep. £o to £7: lambs, £5 down to £3 (if badly finished). Ewes were £lO in £l2 in th© autumn and were now, £5 to £6. A hug© slump was bound to come in stock before long, as it had done already in all cereals. Store lambs were worth from 50s to £3 los. although wo]J-grown for the time of th© year they were not well conditioned.