FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1334, 11 January 1912, Page 8

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

HB\TKW OF 'HIE PAST SEASON. YEAK'S Orßlt-ATrOXS KOT SATISi'ACTOKY. Tho first review lo hand of the frozen moat trade for the p_ii>t sua-.ou is (say* tuo "Vkh,") from ilt'ssrs. Gilbert Aβund Co. 'This firm sUvU-s Unit tho year's operations cannot be voii>i(lcred fiitisfactorj- to parties at cithor eml, (wo of the principal iactors lioinj; the dry c.0.1fon iji iS'cw Zcnlaud and the strike ul ilomi , . Irregularity of Shipments. Tho irregularity of shipment? had alto caused prices to fluctuate, greatly, stockb having to bo held in store at llomo lor long periods, in order to prevent a collajwo of tho market and loss to tbe shippers. Tho season, opened in November. 1910, with ray light stocks of all descriptions of meat, and high prices vrcre obtained. But Australia mado tho record shipment that month of 838,250 c&roisre.s of ujutton, and 390,500 carcasses of lamb, which quantity was sufficient to break tho market and establish low prices, had it not been for tho lowne.ss of stocks aad lighter succeeding shipments. The total shipments of Australian lambs for the season wero 1,720,730 carcasses, as ngainst 1,361,'J50 carcasses for the previous twelve months. There was, however, a decrease in Australian mutton. 2,024,100 carrart=ss being shipped compared with 2,041,150 carcasses tlio year ooturc. Tlve pricos for Australian Iwcf had (luctuated in sympathy with tho price of River Plate betf, and considerable Jo« and iuconvenioneo had been suffered by the trade in consequence of the shipment of large quantities of Queensland beef wtili unsightly nodules. It was hoped tliat with proper inspection there would be no further risks taken in tins respect. Shipments oi Iliver Plate lambs- came to hand regularly in every month of the year, and this example is recommended to .Australasian shippers. A steady and increasing demand was, in consequence of this.policy, being worked up. The total shipments wore OOG.Oni carcasses, a* against 172,675 carcasses in tho previous season. The Average Prices, Trices had averaged 4Jd. to 1 5-Bd., the lowest bein" 'i 5-Sd.. as i«;ainst :i!d. to 5Jd. for Australian, to 5 l.'t-llid. for Canterbury, and i 1-8(1. to 5 3-lCd. for-North lslaud lamb. Ttiver Plato mutton increased from 2,090,863 carcasses to 2,958,027 carcasses over the previous year; and though shipments of frozen btel' had remained about the same, the receipts of chilled beef amounted to 2,120,875 quarters as against 3,178,500 quarters tho previous year,-thus showing that the increase in chilled beef had not been at the expense of the frozen article.

The shipment of Canterbury lamb constituted over 50 per cent, cf the total lambs shipped from New Zealand. The course of the market had been very unsatisfactory. The first shipments were told, at Gd. to Old., and.though it was reported that there was a good lambing, and that shipments' would exceed those of the previous season, buyers were prepared to cover a largo percentage of their requirements at prices much above the ayorpge. For January shipments S.'.d. to α-id., c.i.f., was offered, sJ<l. for February, and sd. for extended shipment. Growers retused to sell :it prices, and as tuyere refused to advance, business 'caniD to a standstill. At this stage it came as a surprise to tho trade that lar-i rwr,!-j----tfos were being offered and sold at 4*d., followed by sate at i 3-Bd. nnd i' t <l. Jlessrj. Gilbert Anderson and Co. consider there was nothing ,in the present or prospective market to warrant t-hi?, and the result was to bre.ik the confidence- oi the market and cause considerable loss on the previous c.i.f. purchases, whilo consignments arriving met with a ban market. From tho beginning of May the market recovered, until sd. to'SJd. was established. From some cause or anotnor hundreds of thousands of lambs were sacrificed at a loss of something like- id. to -Jd. per lb.

Canterbury Quality Declining.

In regard to Canterbury mutton the quantity and quality is said by 'Messrs. Gilbm-t Anderson and Co. to be steadilv declining. Sheep bearing this brand' appear on the market having none of tho characteristic:* of what is recognised as Canterbury mutton, but it is apparent that the lamb trade can only'be earned on and expanded at tho expense of the quantity and quality of mutton, peeing that the lambs sont away fat are th,o pick of the season's crou. The total shipment' of lambs from New Zealand was 3,397,030 ca-nfosses, as against 3,U0.000 carcasses tho year before, and the quantity of mutton shipped was 1,823,300 carcasses, os against 1,9112,000 carcasses iu tha previous twelve months, 'flic shipment of Now- Zealand beef was ICG,BOO quarters, as against 3-15.900 quarters last season, and tho quality on the whole was satisfactory. Pries?, however, varied greatly, and wore dominated by the supply, and price of llivir Plate chilled. Messrs. Gilbert Anderson and Co. emphasiso tho necessity for l-etie'- rp"ulatinn of tha shipment?"of mutton a'ud lamb, winch a-re regular articles of consumption. In tins respeci, tho Ai-gontino sets an example, as one may see by comparing tho tables ot monthly shipments of mutton, beef, and lamb with those for New Zealand and Australia. Another lesson ai> parently to bo learned from tho Argentine is that their meat comes to tho market; better slaughtered and dressed, and is bettor handkd than any other refrigerated meat, and in marked contrast to meat of actually better quality. The attractive appearance of the River Plate meat, t-oretore, largely enhances its sellin" value to the trade.