THE ARGENTINE.

Wairarapa Age, 6 May 1924, Page 7

THE ARGENTINE.

MEAT INDUSTRY ACTIVE The South American, representative of the N. Z. Meat Producers Board has given some interesting particulars of the general conditions applying to live-stock in the Argentine. lie writes:—‘‘The Manager cf Armours interests here assures me that his company anticipates an increased killing on the South Coast this season, which he calculates is 10 to 15 per cent over last year’s figures. In his opinion the same conditions would apply to the other plants. It surprises me that they are able to maintain their sheep kill in the South Coast as the conditions there are similar to the Falkland Islands; where no sheep are available this year for export, while last year I went there and purchased 37,000 for importation here to finish off on the good pastures. There is a good demand for all classes of fat sheep here, especially lambs, which are in request at higher prices. ‘ ‘ There is a good ottering of best quality chillers which are worth 3.562 d per lb put in works. It is considered by well informed persons that best quality fat cattle will be scarcer in the near future and prices higher. There i s no interest for what was formerly known as “freezer” grade; big, Heavy, or plant quality cattle are classified as “Continental,” as about half of the frozen beef exported now goes to the Continent. This grade of cattle is worth 2.625 d to 2.812 d per lb in works. Canner cows are worth 2.062 d and Conner steers 2.25 d. There is more interest for store and breeding cattle and values are higher. It is very probable that prices for all classes of cattle will be considerably higher within a year, as the continuous slaughter of an extraordinary high percentage of calves, male and female, will have its effect on the future cattle supply. “Pasture is good to the South of the Province of Buenos Ayres though large areas of alfalfa lands have suffered from the prolonged drought and the extraordinary quantity of small native locusts which have been more destructive this year than ever previously known, and have eaten up all vegetation in many districts, and what they have left has little feeding value for cattle. This is such an enormous, good country, as far as its soil and climate goes, and what may be detrimental to the production from one class of camp, will equally favour another.

“Considerable numbers of live cattle continue to be shipped to Germany, Belgium, and Italy.”