Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of A Century.] FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1898. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.
A JiAHKKi) feature in the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company's October report just, to hand is the increased quantity taken in the aggregate of meat imported into tho United Kingdom during the nine months of the year eucliug 30th September, totalling in value nearly l,ooo,ooocwts in excess, and £1,757,155 more in vulue than last year. In live cattle Argentina alone shows ut steady increase year by year and is 27 81 per cent, above the imports of 1876, and 152'8-i per cent, over 1895. With regard to the import of mutton from thntcountry "receipts have been heavy since Janunry Ist, 1,950,026 or 339,178 cai'cascu more than last year. Very largo ns arc tho increased imports over last year, heavier still seem in contemplation as three of the Companies are now engaged in rankiiigexteiisiveadditioiisto their works in Argentina. Tho geuorally low range of prices that liave ruled must be remunerative to warrant the iuterutn dividend of live percent, paid last month by the Sancineim Company."
As significant of what a rival to tho pastoral industry of this Colony the Argentine is becoming, and as also indicating to what lengths the increased production of sheep and cattle may reach in tho near future, the following extract from the Buenos Ayres correspondent's letter lo tho Australian I'ustomlisla Miew is not without special interest;liossos Abes, August ut, SUEEI' STATISTICS. "We reckon to send home now every year 2,300,000 frown sheep, and wo shall in all probability have sent nearly 500,000 live wethers by the cud of the present year. Tho earliest statistics we have had for sheep in this ountry only ditc back to 18S3, when we were supposed to have only had 05,000,000. This number in 1805 had increased to 74,000,000, while now we arc close on 00,000,000. Since sheep have been taken out into the dry, sandy camps of tho l'unclm Central, they have increased in a most wonderful manner, owing to there biing so much less discuso, and tho cold climate of the south and west suiting them, Wo still hive taouiands upon thousands of leagues unslocked either by sheep « cattle, so there is no fear of our running shot ot pasture anywhere under a hundred years or so, at any rate. And not only that, but we must also consider that the camp 3 that aro (already stocked aio steadily undergoing a process ot relintog, s) that each year each league gradually become capable ol carrying moro stojk. Our sheep increase more rapidly than yours, for we do not suffer from dr jught iu any way to bo compared to what you do. You, iu 1857, had 47,300,000 sheep, and in 18110,110,400,000, but in another ten years we shall bo about equal. CATTLE STATISTICS. We only havo about 22,000,000 head of cattle, hut wp have room for four times as many; there is no country from whence we can import for stocking new camps, so we must wait for the natural increase,- though considering the consumption in the country, what wo export alivo to other countries, frozen and jerked beef, we cannot hope to make anything like the forward movement wo do with our sheep. In fact, I believe that our ca'ale, as far m quantity is c ncorned, must remain about moro or 10-s as thoyaro, though in quality thoy improve in a most notable manner yew by year, No doubt jou havo seen in tho Lkt 6'lort Journal of Bth July that theoxpjrt of bulls Irura liugland between June, 18'J I, aud Judo, 1898, was 525, of which Australia took 8, Canada 2, France 2, Germany 0, India 3, South Africa 1, Sweden 1, oud Argentina 497. This will givo you some idea of what our breeders aro, and now again whole shiploads aro coming out to till the spring jaleß, which commence this mouth. Our men do not stick at priee, but they will have class. It is just the same with rams. We hear that Mr Pudding lately refused £I2OO (or three rams for an Argentine buyer, while £IOSO has jiiil been paid for one by Mr F. Miller, for Ssnor M. J. Cobos' estancia near Ohaicorom. Lincolns are still tho favourite breed with us, though thero aro many who are now beginning to turn tbeir attention to black faces,
Turning to Now Zealand we find that there has been a very large export of lambs during the period under review, viz,, from Ist January to 30th September, the figures being
1,125,030; of this mimborCniiterbuiy contributed 814,13!), Dingo ami Southlnnd 198,483, Wellington 04,712, Nn pier 22,031!, Miirlboimiugh 15,512, mid Aucklmid 10,148; i.e., from the tionth Island 1,028,134', and from (hi) North Mia comparatively smnll liumhui* of 9(i,891). Thoso ficfnres (,'ivo food for rolledion and point lo t!io North Island being far behind our Southern neighbours in this particular lino of produce, n lino moreover generally acknowledged lo ho one of the most raminenilive among frozen products, and gives riso lo thoughts as to whether the piistornlisls of the North should not pay more attention to breeding lambs for tlie English nun kcl. With the mild climate tlmt obtains in Auckland, Napier mid n largo portion of llio Wellinglon district, lambs should bo produced at n much earlier date and with less risk of loss than in the South Island where the climate is much moro rigorous, and bo in readiness for shipment so as to reach Luiidou at the earliest part of I lie html) season when pi ices are at the highest point,
Quoting from the same report, it will bo pleasing for North Island shoepowncrs to learn, "a steady trade has been done, and for North Island mutton at rather higher prices, stocks are light and buyers lake this million in preference! to flic higherpriced Uanlerbiiry,demand for which is now much less limn it used to be, when Canterbury mutton was so much superior to all other importations that consumers willingly paid the higher value asked. Of late, prices and quality have approximated, and thu old buyers of prime Canterbury now seem lo get their requirements from other sources of sup ply," That the quality of North Island mutton is approaching thai of the famed '' prime Canterbury " is indeed welcome news, and indicates that our sheep-growers are alive to the advantages of producing ii good article. As conducive loa higher grade of meat being sent from the Wellington district, the Export Company have not been lacking in their endeavours and deservo every credit for the lines they arc now working upon,
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Bibliographic details
Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6114, 16 December 1898, Page 2
Word Count
1,103Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of A Century.] FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1898. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6114, 16 December 1898, Page 2
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