THE FROZEN MEAT OUTLOOK.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 713, 12 January 1910, Page 8

THE FROZEN MEAT OUTLOOK.

'■']h ':■ :;An;:auckland view. ' '.'■ /;;• •'' (By. Telegrapn.pSnecial Correspondent.) ' Auckland, January 11. ':. The posifion in regard to the frozen raeatl.tra'de seems to be just as bewilder-, ing\and just as. perplexing'as it was six months i ago, .when; it .'suddenly, became, known that: the "bottom, had if alien b'utVof the London that.the supplies af. Home .were so great' that : colonial agents 'were 'sit a loss to know where to store new shipments. .... .'■"••.- '::.Tho .-problem is still full,of complexities, and even now (says a writer: in the "Star."); when ■we .are' right; in the thick of* the:; 1909-10 season it is..impossible to siiy.wha't, is going to happen either .in New ..Zealand.;, or. at,; Home.' Last, year growers hung -on to their lambs at. the beginning of Ithe season because prices wore, not' up:. to the ; average, .and the longer .they held' the bigger' grew the lainbs, and the lower fell".the vices. In May and June the slump came, but its significance was not realised in time' to allow, sheep-farmers to regulate and prepare for a smaller lambing-:this year..!..' The result is' that, .in the Auckland province,'; as in other parts of .New, Zea-i land,'; .there'are 'more'lambs than 'ever thisiyear,' and prices are worse than ever. •The: price, for .lamb to-day' is 4d. t6'4Jd.c.i.f. in London; and in Auckland, -3'd., under 361b.; 2}d. between 361b. and 421b.; 2id.., where..the carcass -goes over ,421b.'. Those . are the . values quoted for prime NewVZealandJlamb'locally, while Christ- • churoh can be reckoned as being worth a farthing per lb..more'/--Last year at this time the price for : carcasses of'between 281b. per lb.;; and :3ju; per lb; for carcasses of 431b. and over. This "presents:a difference'of.a halfpenny per'-1b.,..0r;,15., 6d. ; per'.';head,.pn .a.;'consignment.of 361b.''lambs; ;':' : ■ •■;>■ '■'• ■ :..;lt will,' therefore,, be -seen ' just vhow 'serious -the 'position .is as.-it at present confronts the sheep-farmer and thefreez-; ihg.companies.'.. The tremendously heavy'stocks.; placed'-;on."■ the .English :market. last .season-,-have '. not yet been cleared off,-and,.on, to; this has. already, been fired duringv.the last three, months;', the; , Australian-; output ..of over a,vmilli6h, '-.lambs! v . The -'Australian- season- extends; over- the months ;bf "October, November,' and December, while, our. frozen; meat in- : dustry does not. commence until the Australian^se'ason! is >finished. ■■-';. In; Auckland' the' season : 'commences.,ih December; .but, np- : to the present,", scarcely,-; any lambs have.beeh; sent forward.';; -■/,, ■'■:.•'■..-.,.- "'...,,

farmers": are waiting for betterprice.s and the longer. they, wait the riiore serious does the position become. Prices may go' up, but the. chance at present appears a. very remote one, and the majority of authorities on_ the question are not .optimistic on this score. They, can see no gleam of hopo ahead. Tlio longer growers wait, the heavier-their lambs become and, , the ;.heavier;; they, get,; the. less money-per. lb. do they 'received v Likewise, the greater the rush will be as. the season draws to a close. . •'•V':.'

'. The number.-of lambs put through for the. frozen;meat trade ,in .Auckland jpinj.* vinco has steadily . increased. .'Two .years, ago the total/was 51,000 lambs; last year it was 87,500 ; Jthis i year it -is likely, to be even greater.The' most.recent. returns show V that. the flocks in the ' Auckland province have topped the million -mark, and so th'e.number. of: lamb's for, : .the :English market may 'naturally be-expected to show an increase." Farmers may . decide to' cull, out, a'good; many Vewe'lambg; and .6o;';reUeve ;the.-crush, '.but there V.is ' the question, of pasturage, and, with the possibility; of continued' dry weather ahead, ithe'-farmer- cannot-, easily, .make, up .hia mind cciurse of. action' he iwill.pursue. ;. Much; interest; naturally centres: in 'the, proposal tp. hofd'Y, 'conference ■ of .those 'interested* ia : ' : Ghristchurch;'.; towards'- the end of. this !m'6ilth; V The' qtffeStiqtaVbf co-operation,-and fpo'sable regulationSof: prices, supply, and demand. will' then ■ ;' be' - thoroughly; con-; sidcred, " ; :