N.Z. MEAT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 July 1924, Page 5

N.Z. MEAT.

LONDON COMPLAINT.

TOO MUCH POOR QUALITY.

J Extract of letter received from Lou.don, dated 6th June, 1924: — “We find that S. American sheep appear to 'be in sufficient supply for the demand, and supplies were held back when the market went particularly low here, with the result that there is a little more afloat from S. America. It .is a definite and undeniable fact, and one that we cannot be too emphatic ab•out, that Plate sheep have entirely taken possession of the mutton market, previously held by New Zealand, and that, apart from a small trade in the very best descriptions of New Zealand Bheep, there is very little business indeed for mutton from the Dominion. 1 ‘ As you will see from the market prices, although there are no sheep afloat from Australia, and very little .now from New Zealand, for the past three weeks prices have remained quotably unchanged, and, if anything, are slightly easier. Against this there is the fact that about another 4d per Id is demanded for mutton for shipment, this can only be secured now prow viding that supplies from the Plate ■ease up." In our daily visits to Smithfield we have continuous and tiresome complaints from the stallholders re the sale of New Zealand mutton. On Wednesday of this week one of our clients had about half a dozen (a well known freezing works) 7’s. left on their hooks unsold, together with one Plate sheep of about equivalent weight. We were asked to give our opinion as to the best quality sheep on the hooks, and unfortunately we had to find in favour of the Plate. It must be admitted the best of the sheep had been sold earlier, but these were graded •as prime. The cost to the stall-holder bought well was 6 7-Sd for the and 5Jd for the Plate. It is not to be wondered at when, clients inform us that for every 10 ‘N.Z. sheep they sell, -they sell d.OO Plate with less trouble. The quality of New Zealand sheep this year, probably owing to the drought, has been poor, or in other words, there are too few real choice sheep coming

over, and the. bulk are no better than Plate, and the prices are out- of We know that you will appreciate the spirit in which this letter is written, and not take it as a slight oil New Zealand produce. The same thing applies to lamb; it is almost ridiculous to think that N.Z. 2nd grade lambs, ordinary brands, are making lOd per lb. This price is all right providing that the producer does not run away with the idea that this is its - true value. It is making the price at the moment simply because there is very little Australian lamb for sale in the provinces and in the out districts the carriage charges on lamb (prime) making that commodity too dear for distribution.