Another Record Kill At Southland Works

Chronicle (Levin), 23 June 1949, Page 5

Another Record Kill At Southland Works

INVERCARGILL, June 22. Another record kill has been recorded by t'he thr.ee freezing works in Southland — Makarewa, Mataura and Ocean Beach. For the first time in the history of the province more than 2,000,000 slieep and lambs were handled by the works last year. when the total kill amounted to 2,013,633. The total kill for the season just eompleted is considerably in excess of last year's figure. The actual total handled by the works this year is 2,116,917, an increase 6f 103,284. Reviewing the "season, the general manager of the ,Southland Frozen Meat Company, _ Mr. A. Derbie, 'said today that more fnanpower had been available tfiis season than for some time. It was correct to say, however, that more broken time had been experieneed during January and February, than for many years past. This was due to the favourable season and a tendeney on the part of the farmer to carry his stock a little longer in an effort to get more weight on Ihe Carease. "Early in the season >we predicted a deerease ifi ewe killings and tlie final figures show that predietion to be correct, Mr. Derbie said. "'This position has been caus.ed by the fact that ewes were bringing higher prices at auetion than could be paid under the schedule fixed by the Government. The5 result has been that -a lot of ewes wkich. would normaily have been killed, went back to the farms for stocking purposes.