DEAR MEAT NEXT WINTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1080, 20 March 1911, Page 4

DEAR MEAT NEXT WINTER.

RISE IN PRICES EXPECTED. It is stated 011 the authority of thoso who are always dealing with the subject that next winter will see a beef famine in New Zealand, and also an era of lieav mutton. One of the main causes of the cattle decrease in the Dominion has been the wholesale slaughter of young calves, which has now been prcceeding tor years. The death rate in Taranaki has averaged sixty thousand annually, and these figures give a very good indication of what the total must be for the two is'ands. The fact that new country is being largely settled, and cattle are required for breaking-up purposes is another reason why the demand at present greatly excceds tlio supply. The drought in the South Island lias intensified the cattle scarcity and for the past six months there have lieen regular shipments of steers from the North Island to Christchurch, and now supplies are 011 the point of partial depletion. Beef "off the hoof" was sold the other day at 3 3-Bd. per- pound, and an authority declares that in the winter tho price' will go up to 4 2-sd. These latter figures represent 10s. pej 1001b. of meat bought alive, and the retail prices arc certain to rise correspondingly, It is quite possible that the retail price may be Is. per pound. The drought is also blamed for the projected price of mutton. With dry weather and 110 fc&d, stock is being rushed poll moll into the freezing works, and frozen, and the lateness of the season's feed coming in, combined with poor rape crops, will prevent the decreased supplies from coming forward as they otherwise should do. It is suggested that thorn is a possibility that this winter the New Zealand public may be forced to largely dine off its own frozen mutton, large supplies of which are being now held ill some of the freezing works. Paradoxicnlly enoueh New Zealand beef and mutton are both exceedingly low in pries in Great Britain.