PRODUCE FREIGHTS.

Waipa Post, Volume XX, Issue 1150, 4 October 1921, Page 2

PRODUCE FREIGHTS.

MOST SERIOUS HANDICAP.

HARD TIMES COMING.

The annual report of the Auckland Farmers Freezing Company .stated: — The most serious handicap to the freezing industry, the speaker went on, was the excessive freights they had to pay on meat to London. In the "year 1915 the freight on frozen mutton was 11-16th s of a penny per lb, less 5 per cent. It was now Hd plus 5 per cent; 1915 lamb IS per lb less 5 per cent, was now 2d plus 5 per cent; 1915 beef, 9-16ths less 5 per cent was now lid plus 5 per cent; sundry meat in bags, 1915 per lb lessi 5 per cent, was now 2d per lb plus 5 per cent. Unfortunately the freezing companies were committed to these rates for twelve months, but under pressure the shipping companies had promised to review the position before January next, and if the costs of running their ships were reduced they expected to get the benefit of the reduction.

If the Auckland province to to depend upon the meat industry for a living, under present conditions, add T ed Mr Ambury, the youth of this country would soon understand the meaning of hard times and scarcity of cash. They had had two decades of prosperity, and the people who were under 20 years of age knew practically nothing of compulsory economy. , Fortunately the dairy industry was the primary industry of this district, and the prospects were 'that the dairymen would have a good season and that the total output of daJry produce would eclipse all previous records. The total quantity of butter frozen at the company's' works for the year ending 30th June, 1924, was 19,160 tons, being 6868 tons more than in the previous year, an increase of 55 per cent. As a large number of factories had both butter and cheese-making plants, a good number of cheese makers turned over to butter-making towards the end of last season, thereby reducing the output of cheese by 5 per cent. The total quantity of cheese handled by the company for the year ending 30th June, 1921, wa s 11,118 tons. The value of the butter frozen at the company's works for the year was £5,173,294, and the value of cheese £1,142,570, making the total value of dairy produce £6,315,864, while meat and other products to the value of £547,518 made a grand total of £6,863,382.