FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 12

FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

NEW SEASON'S MEAT

PRICES.

MILTIPLE SHOP RETAILING,

IKP.OM orr. 31'ECIAL CORRESPONDENT.}

LONDON. October 2nd, 1924

j With-the close of the English sumI liier season—and. incidentally, with the I departure Dominion visitors (including Mi- David Jones, the chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, which .occurs this week), ineatgrowers and shippers will be turning their eyes to the possibilities of the new .'.ea son . The complexion of the spot market in Great- Britain at this season certainly is helpful as a guide to this consideration, although hot too much reliance can always be placed upon tre actual level ax which the autumnal mar- | ket find itself -ns a harbinger of the possibilities of the season ahead. For instance, if vlie mere lact that NewZealand lajnb stands at Is IMd per lb wholesale in Smithfield to-day could j be regarded as :i criterion for the spring marketings of 1925, all would be plain sailing. But, as New Zealanders have found 'before to-day, assumption of market strength ahead, and the consequent holding out for full top-rafces-in-c-.i.f. sales for the ensuing- season, have more than once in recent memory caused the market, pendulum to swing later, on iri the ensuing season to an extent that has, on balance, shown •Joss for all parties concerned/ In other! words, if the pendulum be swung too' far one way, its reaction is more severe, with consequent loss. Dear Meat and Consumers' Demand. Viewed statistically,', the. meat posi-tion-seems sounrl enough. Both spot, supplies and nearer shipments are within small compass. Argentina has reported a poor lamb, output from several quarters. Yet these factors alone cannot ensure high prices. There are certain signs throughout the countrythat the meat demand of late has suffered from high values, and the retailer, generally speaking, has-, in'the' past few months, had a' more unprofitable time than he has experienced for the last two years. Three months ago cheap beef was his one resource, but that oasis has partly dried up, and he is losing money, to-day on Colonial lamb. Tlivs point, has always to be remembered in considering the retailers' . affection for beef merchandise; after all it is so often his one standby, although in the hot season it is so hard for him to move. The. de-. mand more than ever in the coming season should. be for lighter carcases in the lamb and mutton trade. A small joint is more .than ever insisted' upon by the million, and the call is worth satisfying. Tho dearer prices which are registered to-day in our market tables, as compared with a year ago, are only' attributable to the shorter supplies on the year. • .

"Union" Meat Retailing Development. The occurrence this week of the 27th' annual meeting of the Union Cold Storage Company in London recalls attention to the. remarkable progress made by this mammoth concern, which now embraces in both Hemispheres practically all operations connected with the ' production and marketing- of ". frozen' meat. It is anoint worthy of -note 'that special satisfaction .Was record'ed in thO speech of the" chairman of the company, Mr Roger- P. Sing, concerning the results of the step most recently taken-'by the-company in the acquisition of- retail-meat businesses._ Mr Sing werit.&oTfar this' hb ; th-Q. in the histbry 6fj,she> c6mpsriy7 and it was," he added, a step which had proved riiost valuable, the consequent ment of the' Business, only being deecribable as very satisfactory.' The observer who reflects upon this question, and also recollects, tniit.. not long .since another meat importing company of less even fortunes, the Srnitl)field> and Argentine'.Meat. Co., Limited;- had entered upon ownership of retail.shops, will wonder whether this presages the final absorption of meat r retailing iri preat Britain by the large enterprises of the trade. One can hardly view any other prospect. The" jnost' enthralling question will, be whether 'this will mean cheaper meat for -the public _ of . the greatest imported meat cor.suming market in the world,- or higher, prices eventually \for the producer. One assumption many will make, and that will he that it may. result in a larger'picking for the-multiple shop middleman'.. Plethora of Cold Storage..

,A rather different story had to he told concerning the profit-earning results of the cold storage end of the ''Union" business during the pa.it year. This, the chairman of this great company said, had not"' shown, much improvement during the year. Other companies. and they themselves, had! provided during the war far more cold storage accommodation than was now necessary for the efficient handling of the goods requiring cold storage. The result- had been that they had found it essential to close several of their stores at different periods. When one hears, on the top of this,_ that Austrian parties are considering the erection of new storage depots, in Great Britain on behalf of the Commonwealth Government, one is led to think • that someone is not fully posted as to the bedrock conditions of the ( refrigeiating business at the marketing end. The Union Cold' Storage, Company can hardly. be charged with. that..

BUBNSIDE MARKET. ; (PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM.) 'DUNEDIN, November 19. Prices 'for fat' cattle dropped about 20s per head at Burnside to-day. Sheep Jjrere, easier by about 3s and piga were down about 53 per head. Store cattle had a fair Bale, and lambs sold at about 'last week's rates. -

.. Fat'-Cattle^—A-vyarding. of 259 head was offered, compared with''23B last. week. Com- , petition at the commencement was not so briak' as at' recent' sales, and prices eased about 20s per head. I'rime handy-weight ox..beef.sold. at.\from 52s 64. to. 55s'€d per 1001b, second quality ox (in ' over-aupply) up to 38s, choice heifer beef to 355, and cow and light heifer beef from . 25s to 80s. Extra prime bullocks made, to £23;medium,. £ll 10sv -to. £l2 10s, inferior £9 to £lO, best cows. and. heiferfe'to.'£l'2, medium £7' 10s to' £8 "10s, ' and inferior £5 to - £&.

Fat Sheep—There was a fair entry. 1688 being penned compared with 1381 last week. The offering, consisted principally of good quality animals. Competition at".the commencement of the sale was good, but as it progressed the bidding became slack and prices were easier by 3s a-head., Extra prime wethers in the wool (light-weights) ; sold on a basis of 9Jd to 9jd per" lb, light and Unfinished and beavy.-vveight wethers 8d to •Sid. extra prime ewes 7£d to ffd, and "aged and unfinished ewes 5d to 6id. Extra prime woolly wethers brought up to 74a 3d, prime '3Bs to 635, medium 15s to 48s, extra prime woollj; ewea to ,5Cs, medium" 40a to 425, inferior* 34's "to-:36a, besi shorn wethers 595, prime 40s to 44a, medium 34s to 36a, best shorn ewes 425, jpedium 28s to 325. Eat Lambs—There was a. larger offering-, 84 being penned compared with 56 at last pale. Competition ;was good, and prices were about the same- as those of last week. Prime lambs sold .up to 10jd per lb, and second quality 9d to 9Jd. Extra prime quality made to 475, good 84s to 38s, and medium 28s to 3& Store Cattle—There was a yarding of -250 head compared with 160 last week. The eale was a. fair. one.- Best bullocks Bold at. up • to 'flO 6s. ..i Pigs p a ts to the number of 191 and stores totalling 131 were offered. "With the bigger' supply; prices eased-about 5s per head. Best baconers made to fl las, porkere £! U» to £B. JQfttfUd JigHi>2?kere £2, ■ Prime.poriers .apl* ;<».» basis -.of - 814. 7Jd