NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1642, 22 August 1887, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT

It goes without saying (remarks a writer In the "European Mall") that New Zealand long ago beat the United States and Canada m supplying thia conntry with fresh frozen mutton. Both In quality and quantity, and also ln regularity of supply, the Britain of tbe South bore away the palm. It appears, however, "from Information received," •a the detectives say that New Zealand shtepfermera must he op and stirring, or La Plata— tc, the Argentine Republicwill leeura the lion's share of thia im};ortant trade. It seems, from figures ately furnished me, that m May we received hare from Australasia 33 505 •wt of frozen mutton valued at £91,253 ; •nd daring the same month the Argentine Eepabllc sent 33,864 cwr, valued at only £63,206. In other words, it appear! that while each hundredweight of New Zealand mutton— for practically all Australasian mutton comes thence — was Talaed at £2 15?, the Argentine mutton was placed here at £1 17a per cwt. This Is laid to be very disastrous — and no donbt it is— for the interests of tin ■toskralslng British farmer ; and it is also highly unsatisfactory to onr New Zealand mntton growers. For my own part, I bave all along maintained that the main error on the part of the New Zealand mutton exporters to this country has been the not taking the neceaaary measures to ensure that all the meat they lend us shall go into actual consumption as New Zealand bred. At present it is not tso much to assert that tho principal consumers of colonial mutton •re rather the butchers . than the public. This ls the one special trouble and difficulty wherewith the colonial producer has always bad to contend. If only he could get at the British public m those islands direct, he could at once obtain for himself a higher and more remunerative price fer his mutton, md at tho same time enable the actual consumers to have their mutton far cheaper than the butchers m general will allow of. This, therefore, would effect a double good, and tho only remedy I can see is that the New Zealand mutton j breeder for these markets should have his own shops here, and. consign hiß mutton to them and them alone, and to decline absolutely to sell otberwise than retail. This process would, no doubt, be at first • step backward, and would be attended with some difficulties of detail, but when ence taken it would be certainly fraught with eminently satisfactory results to all concerned.