The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1893. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9403, 1 April 1898, Page 2

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 1893.

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Sheep-owners in New Zealand have for some time past been sorely exercised in their minds at the continued depression in the prices of frozen mutton and lamb from this colony. Those of them who have visited England during the past twelve months not unnaturally tried to find out for themselves the causes at work to which these low prices are attributable, but found it very hard to get much information on the subject. Mr J. C. Chaytor, of Marlborough, who lately returned from a visit to the Old Country, and while there investigated the conditions of the frozen meat industry, delivered an instructive and interesting address on the subject before a large and attentive meeting of the Mavlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association on the sth ult., in which he set forth his experience in the matter, and offered for the consideration of those present several valuable suggestions. Mr Chaytor said the low price of frozen lamb when he was iv London was caused by over-supply, and not from any inferiority in the meat itself, which even after months of storage at Home was quite good, proving that if lamb is properly handled it may be sent to England, and kept there thoroughly good for an indefinite period. The complaints as to it ' weeping " when thawed, were dup, he said, to the meat being hung in a damp atmosphere, which caused the moisture in it to be condensed on coming into contact with the cold carcases. On visiting Smithiield market Mr Chaytor saw some very untidy looking sheep with long tails, which he was told were Dutch sent over not frozen, but which brought lid a lb. more than frozen mutton of far bettor quality. This clearly shows that the prejudice against the latter article is still vory strong in England. Mr Chaytor was offered frozen New Zealand lamb by a salesman for 4d per lb. for a single carcase, the retail prices asked beiug 2|d for breasts and 9d for legs. His own lambs only realised equal to 2f d per lb., the charges amounting to 18 per cent, of the gross account sale. Not being satisfied with this low return for prime lamb, he asked for the names of the buyers, and aftor a deal of trouble and correspondence got them, but did not get much satisfaction. In a letter from a large firm of colonial meat agents he got the following information :: — • " Receiving from the ship and conveying to stoic, storage for any period not exceeding 28 days from the time the ship breaks bulk.cartage to market and market toll, an exclusive rate of 82s per ton. Then if the meat is kept in store beyond the 28 days there is an additional charge of 20s per ton for every 28 days. Considering the amount of work done, these charges are thought to be very reasonable. In the early days of the frozen meat market they were more than double the amount. With regard to the deplorable prices realised for lambs during the latter part of die season wp can only say it is entirely the result of such large quantities being sent from New Zealand so late in the year. The lambs arriving «ith us as they do now in the month of January have the effect of causing the public to go in for lamb much earlier in the season than used to be the case; consequently, they tiro of it earlier, and in August and September (when various other products are in season) they will not have the lamb at any price. In June last all tho stores were very crowded, and immense quantities were arriving, some of the shipments in bad condition. The consequence was that a large number of lambs in good condition were stored with many of those not in good condition. It was impossible to avoid this, as space at disposal was so limited, The consequence was that, being in close proximity to the damaged ones, the good ones soon felt the effect, *nd the damage spread, Our meat inspectors were very sharp on the damaged carcases, and a great number were condemned on the market. We then knew that the only wise course to adopt was to got out of the lambs as quickly as possible ; to do this it was found necessary to take less than mutton prices, so that the low-priced butchers would purchase them instead of Australian and River Plate mutton. We should say that since July fully 75 per cent of tho New Zealand lambs have been purchased by men who have taken them into the poorer suburbs of London, and sell the joints from 2,^d to 4d per lb. You ask for addresses of buyers pf New Zealand lambs. We think the besj reply is, that the majority of butchers purchase them' during the season; but we feel that we can safely assert, in regard to the low prices of the last three months, that jihe poor people have had the benefit of fchemi for, as we have pointed out, the large proportion of the lambs have been retailed oil in I joints at the prices mentioned above." To get over the present ruinous obEifcacjos in the way of Now Zealand' exporters o( frozen mutton and lamb, Mr Chaytor advocates (ho formation of a powerful company to be assisted by the Government by a guarantee ■ that would enable sufficient capital to be raised on debentures at the Ipwesj; rate j that premises adjoining Snjithfield shp/iltjl he obtained ; that sufficient cold storage should b, c pro- 1 vided; and that all sheep-farmei's in' New Zealand should take gljares in the company, and send thelv meat through it. This is not a new suggestion, as some time ago, in an article on this subject, we advocated a similar Efihejne, formulated by Mr George Cunningham, ojf tbjs town, who has had great experience in»the frozen meat trade of the colony, having had the management of the Wellington Meat Export Company for some time. Mv Chaytor estimated that the gapitfti pf the company would have to be large, as the average export of New Zealapd frozen meat for the pgsfc three years has been about £1,500,000, {wo-iihjrds of which amount he estimated wpuld

be required for tho purchase of meat, or advances thereon. The cost of premises in London would also be large, Mr Chaytor says the curse of the trade is the large number of consignees, the smallerones of whom often force their meat on the market at an unsuitable time, thus bringing down prices. A company such as above referred to would, he asserts, do away with this, anil prevent New Zealand mutton being sacrificed. At Timaru lately the Chairman of the Freezing Company there advocated 0, similar method of improving the prospects of the New Zealand frozen meat trade at Home, and all who have studied the question are of the same opinion. Until the sheepfarmers and exporters of New Zealand frozen mutton follow this advice and protect themselves from the present ruinous system of disposing of the meat at Home they need expect no improvement in prices. It is only a matter of time, if things in this connection do not speedily mend, until our frozen meat trade, like that of the New Zealand flax industry, will be crippled, and for the time being practically closed. It therefore behoves everyone interested in the frozen mutton trade of Now Zealand to take early and effective measures to avert such a climax, in which efforts they should receive adequate State assistance, as the importance of the trade cannot be over-estimated.