MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1371, 23 February 1912, Page 8

MEAT EXPORT TRADE.

WEDDEL'S ANNUAL ItEVIEAY. Messrs. Wcddel and Co., hi their annual review of the frozen meat trade for 1911, in the course of a general retrospect-, slate that the demand for fror.cn meats was quite satisfactory on average; and prices were only a shade lower that in 1910, which had been a year of exceptionally high values. One of the principal causes of the reduction which did take place was the forced marketing of home stock as a consequence of the prolonged drought. The effects of this wore naturally more noticeable' in the latter part of the year, when, but for this adverse factor, imported meats might have been expected to reach a higher level owing to arrivals being moderate. Taking the top average values of leading descriptions of frozen meat, for which quotatioP.G arc i'.vailablc during the last twelve years, as being indicated by ICO, the index figure for 1911 wa-? 97.58, as compared with 100.E6 in 1910, and 88.15 in 19C-9. The year was, perhaps, not a very profitable one for British buyers, the excellent trading results secured in 1910 having induced them to pay prices beyond wiiat was .justified by the statistical portion. Australian arrivals in 1911 showed some reduction in beef and mutton, afier a large increase' in the previous year, so that it could not be faid that the rate of development in the Commonwealth trade was so steadily continuous as might be desired. In Houth America the growth in exports of beef and lamb was strong and persistent, though mutton remained stationary: and in that part of the world alone would it that- beef production gave promise of keeping paco with the growing European demand. Chilled beef from the United Statcri of America, for die first tiwc for 25 years, wan almost entirely absent from Smithficld market during part of the year. The gradual decline in this trade which has been witnessed during the past five or six years was grea-tly emphasised in 1911, and during November and December imports ceased almost entirely. On the other hand. Argentine chilled beef showed a further largo expansion, the ahortago from the United Stales being more than made up by the receipts of this description.

BKBF SUPPLIES. , The total supply of beef available from all sources for consumption in the United Kingdom during 1911 Mas estimated at approximately 1.227,134 km&, and of mutton and lambs- 594,719 tons, representing 63.6 lb. of the former, and 29.4 of the latter per Head or the population. Thco uuanlitic.s were composed of home-grown meat to the extent of 61.5 per cent., frozen meats 25.7 per cent., chilled beef 10.8 per cent., with 3.9 per cent, of foreign live cattle and sheep and fresh killed meat.- '['he oimntities of home an I imported beef, mutton and lamb available lor consumption im the United Kingdom during 1911 aggregated 1.821.853 tons, as against 1,813,420 tons in 1910. Of litis total, it it; calculated that homo-fed beef, mutton, '-'.ud lamb represented 1.121.170 tons, an estimate which wan remarkably near to the 1910 figure of 1,121,760 tons. The foreign and colonial beef, mutton and lamb imported, either alive, fresh killed, frozen or chilled, weighed approximately 760.653 tons, as compared with 691,660 tons in 1910.

MUTTON* AXD LAMB. The total importations of mutton from all sources f "lowed a very considerable decrease aj compared with the figures for Hid preceding vear. In 1911 there were only 6.8ir,.'50 ca'" '-'ics, a- against 7,5*2,977 carcasses in 1910, a shrinkage of 736,727 carii.M.e.-, <ir nearly 10 per cent. A large dorrea.=c of 761.1C0 carcasses from Australia and a smaller reduction of 195,656 carcas.-cs from Xew Zealand overshadowed the very moderate increase of 220,229 carcasses in the importations from South America. In contradistinction to mutton, the importa-

lion.* of lamb from nil exporting countries showed increases. The loin I receipts were 6,144.135 .•a.rca.sses. as compared with 5.428,C 67 carcasses in 1910, an inerease of 716,065 oareariso«. or fully 13 pur cell!. This wan made up of 153,571 nihlilionnl from ,\iß-iralia, 10,377 from New Zealand, and 654,618 carcasses addiiiona! from South America, (lie lasl-nieiilioned representing an expansion of 107 per cent, over the figures for 1910. Iv. frozen beef again there is a reduction in the total importations lis again:.t I lie preceding year, the figure.-: being 2.210.634 cuiarters in 19!!, compared with 2,366,331 Quarters in 1910. The decrease wan thus 155,697 quarters, or about 6'. per cent., in which New Zealand figured \ery largely with a fallimr-oll' of 178.502 (lUiuters, and Australia with a sbrinhasro of 16,060 quarters, while against then South America showed a small increase of 38,055 quarters. TOTAL OUTPI'T. The total output of the 07 freezing works in Australia and New Zealand, and 11 works in South America last- year wan estimated at 656.209 tons, as compared with 602,704 tons in 1910. and 501.571 tons in IKO. Of the past year's total. 619,814 toils (frozen and chilled) went to the United Kingdom, and 36,395 tons (frozen) to other markets, as compared with 580,650 tons and 16.C69 tons respectively in 1910.

MEAT PKO.SIM-XTS. In a. brief anticipatory note. Iho re\ieiv says:—"As there is no pra-poct of any increase in supplies from Home Hocks and herds, nor much likelihood of large increases from Australia or New Zealand, the hopes of British consumers would appear to lie entirely with the South American grower. Expectations as regards Continental demand have been so often disappointed that it would be imprudent to reckon on any large support to the market coming from that source: but on the whole it would seem probable that, unless Argentine shippers should again flood this market with supplies of chilled meat, prices can hardly fail to be maintained during 1912." Attention is' directed in the review to the irregularity of arrivals of frozen meat from Australia., and it is pointed out that unless better means of regulating exports from the Commonwealth and Xew Zealand call be devised shippers must he content to see all effective control of the British meat markets slipping from their grasp.