FROZEN MEAT TRADE WITH BELGIUM AND THE CONTINENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1669, 22 September 1887, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT TRADE WITH BELGIUM AND THE CONTINENT

O'Lytteltou Times." ' Our freezing works und our squatters are ooinnluioi.'ig about tbe low prioas of 3Ji to 4£d per Ib on the London market. la fact, theso prices, Including every expense, j must leave very littlu profit, if there ia , any, for the shoop owners. i Why do they not forward direot con6ijnraen'B to Belgium, aa several North and oppfcially Sou'h, American Oompanlea have done 1 Any direct Invoice of our splendid New Zea'and meat will be a success. Preserved and fr z n meat are free of duty in Belgium, and in mo3t of 'the Continental OJU., tries to avoid to increase the expenses of the European standing artuiea, which are supplied with then* meats. The retail prices oi 9 J to 141 per lb in Belgium, according to tho kind of meat, is Incretmcg dally, on account of duties pat upon i lie importation of live stock and fresh m;at. As Bjlgiau Consul I attract theattention of the New Zealand people upon the subject. Largo freezing mnohineriea and extenBire storages have been lately established in Antwerp, the largest Continental port at 16 hours only by bo* from London, and connected by direct railways all through Europe The Company called Fjrigorlferes d' Anvere alone has spunt ove» £40,000 sterling fa fre>zng machineries, etc. . Its stores may oontain actually 100,000 of caresses, and more later en, This give* an i lea of tho large outlet effared to our frozen meat trade. Unfortunately, when tlio New Zealand Colonials aro net under the pnwi-r of mortgagors, moot of them nre tndtrect'y compelled by tho Shipping Companies to deal with that torror called tho London middleman. Nobody knows to whiqh ixtent all those people are connected together ; only one thing ia ceitain, that the profits are not going in the New Z=alander's pookot. Direot fnzjn meat, >ent from here to Belgium, will certainly improve the sheepowners, ami very likaly bring an end to the depression of that trade, Alexander Beck, Consul for Belgium. Chriatchurch, 20th Sept , 1887.