f1.—38.

The balance of meat in store and on loading-berth at the 31st March, 1921, was as follows : — Beef (quarters) .. .. .. .. .. 214,881 Mutton (carcases) .. .. .. .. 73,033 Lamb (carcases)! .. .. .. .. .. 4,408 Other meat (in 60 lb. carcases) .. .. .. 2,387 The system of payment of advances representing 75 per cent, of the value of killings which have remained in freezing-chambers for a period of six weeks was continued, _ the payment of the balance of 25 per cent, being effected at time of shipment upon presentation of the usual documents, these payments being made free of exchange either to the freezing companies direct or by direction of freezing companies to the companies' clients. The following statement furnishes particulars of frozen meat in store and of shipments made in the equivalent of 60 lb. carcases from the 3rd March, 1915, to the 31st March, 1921 :— In store on— 1915-16. 1916-17. 1917-18. 1918-19. 1919-20. 1920-21. April 30 .. 1,792,362 2,304,258 2,946,781 4,082,323 7,265,253 7,075,306 May 31 .. 2,048,454 2,642,362 3,290,072 4,794,787 7,931,103 7,420,307 June 30 .. 2,165,342 2,480,846 3,483,324 5,230,000 7,934,921 7,150,820 July 31 .. 1,865,283 1,892,504 3,383,235 5,314,602 7,780,394 6,238,953 Aug. 31 .. 1,410,167 1,396,540 2,949,545 5,233,308 6,960,556 5,342,946 Sept. 30 .. 665,992 816,933 2,873,277 4,970,053 5,923,654 4,488,679 Oct. 31 .. 199,936 367,975 2,557,881 4,576,942 4,953,429 3,494,387 Nov. 30 .. 140,836 161,311 1,890,489 4,446,726 4,321,729 2,668,521 Dec. 31 .. 597,817 451,361 1,915,451 4,293,315 4,466,364 1,386,477 Jan. 31 .. 1,093,300 1,137,438 1,954,490 4,992,719 5,131,901 983,207 Feb. 28 .. 1,575,336 1,901,085 2,609,618 5,766,815 5,912,670 794,127 Mar. 31 .. 2,152,250 2,409,541 3,398,364 6,567,871 6,628,789 600,956 Shipments during — April .. 498,971 540,204 340,374 490,339 423,003 530,955 May .. 389,223 500,097 338,507 365,688 572,871 318,142 June .. 302,293 605,890 239,793 94,855 745,147 489,293 July .. 761,641 740,845 229,402 75,290 308,049 911,867 Aug. .. 602,647 555,630 453,178 98,327 823,780 896,007 Sept. .. 795,766 609,362 96,059 264,780 1,037,465 854,267 Oct. .. 474,055 465,983 321,127 394,722 971,223 994,292 Nov. .. 282,450 321,497 743,065 133,486 663,906 825,866 Dec. .. 241,734 235,316 394,941 369,577 405,525 1,282,044 Jan. .. 514,036 440,168 904,810 217,749 419,553 403,270 Feb. .. 498,964 272,910 369,043 317,679 369,143 189,080 Mar. .. 542,586 800,539 335,303 549,936 638,129 193,171 5,904,366 6,088,441 4,765,602 3,372,428 7,377,794 7,888,254 The total payments for meat to the 31st March, 1921, including storage and advances, amounted to £53,039,535, which was distributed as follows :— £ £ Auckland .. 4,575,345 Poverty Bay .. .. .. .. 5,578,413 Hawke'sßay .. .. .. .. 5,331,147 Taranaki .. .. .. .. .. 2,107,096 Wellington .. .. .. .. .. 15,610,007 North Island .. .. .. 33,202,008 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 354,109 Nelson ... .. .. .. 226,373 Canterbury .. .. .. .. .. 12,247,677 Otago .. .. .. .. .. 3,806,469 Southland .. .. .. .. .. 3,202,899 South Island .. .. .. 19,837,527 Grand total .. .. .. £53,039,535

3