Frozen Meat.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2890, 4 February 1893, Page 2

Frozen Meat.

Messrs Fitter and Sons, Central Meat Market, London, report tor New Zealand mail, December 24, as follows:—Trade in the meat market is very slow at Christmas time, and, as usual, the only demand just now iB for poultry, especially turkeys, of which there is a good supply, but not too heavy for the enormous consumption. A great number of the butchers who deal mostly in dead meat, buy their cattle and sheep alive for Christmas, so as to make a nice bright display, and the majority go in for extra choice quality ; consequently frozen or foreign meat is not much, in demand. There has been a large supply of American beef on the market, both chilled and English tilled; much cf this has been of inferior quality, and prices railing very low. There has also been a fair quantity of Queensland beef, but the demand for this has been very limited. Very little New Zealand beef hag been put on the market. English mutton is somewhat shorter, and if it continues, to come in less quantities after Christmas prices ought to improve. Best New Zealand mutton is rather firmer, but plain sheep and merinos are selling very badly, owing to the low price of Australian and River Plate'sheep. We have noticed lately that some of the Canterbury sheep are showing too much of the merino breed, and we nave received many complaints about some of them eating extremely like leather. Small pigs are selling well, but large pork is decidedly lower. To-day's prioes are as follows:— Scotch sheep (per stone of 81b), 4s 2d to 4s 8d; English sheep, 33 lOd to 4s 6d ; Conti. nental sheep, 2s 4d to 3s 4d; Ewes, 2a JOd to 3s 4d } Canterbury (New Zealand) sheep 2a 8d to 3s; Wellington sheep, 2s 6i to 2b Si; Sydney sheep, Is 9d to Is lOd : River Plate sheep, Is lOd to Is lid ; New Zealand beef, hind quarters, 2s 6d to 2s 8d; New Zealand beef, fore quarters, Is lOd to 2s (nominal); Queensland beef, hind quarters, Is lOd to 2a ; Queensland beef, fore quarters, Is 8d to Is lOi; American b«ef, hind quarters, 2s 8d to 33 8d; American beef, fore quarters, Is 6d to Is Bd.