The Australian Meat Market.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7245, 28 August 1902, Page 4

The Australian Meat Market.

Prospects for the Future,

The Sydney Daily Telegraph bears out our previously expressed opinion that high prices will prevail in the Australian meat market for some considerable time. " The whole position summed up." it saj's, "is not a pleasant one to contemplate, especially as this State is absolutely dependent on the importations, which at any tirao may be plentiful or short, of high or moderate price. The main responsibility rests with the drought for the great depletion of stock. During the past seven years in this Slate and Queensland the herds of cattle have been reduced from 12,000,000 to 4,000,000, and the (locks of shcop from 80,000,000 to 00,000,000, so the loss sustained i« ufc once apparent. The gloomy outlook can only be relieved by a general breaking up of the drought, and unless that happens high prices in meat will be maintained, and heavy losses suffered. The New South Wales supply is now almost dependent upon Now Zealand for mutton, and Queensland for beef, and if it were not for those importations there is no knowing wliiit prices would prevail. Owing to the continued drought, many stations in the back having huge numbers of sheep to shear have to get their supplies from Sydney before they can commence shearing operations. So far as beef is concerned there appears but little prospect of any fall; but in mutton the market fluctuates accordingly as to whether the New Zealand suppy is large or small. There are a few places in the State where fat sheep are available- for local consumption.!, but they arc not in suOicient numbers to relieve the market. The- State is at present dependent upon what New Zealand and Queensland choose to charge, therefore the outlook is not considered bright. The New Zealand market is influenced a great deal by the London markot, and if the price in the great metropolis advances to 4kl, and there is reason to believo it probable, then New Zealand will give this- State nothing below 4d per lb. So to an cxtctit New South Wales is dependent also on the London ' market,"