WHEAT AND MEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2272, 5 October 1914, Page 8

WHEAT AND MEAT

SUPPLIES IN ENGLAND. As far as the supply of wheat is concerned, remarks a London correspondent, the war has broken out at a' fortunate time for Great Britain. Usually the supply of wheat on hand is sufficient for only six weeks' consumption, but the war .has starfco'd at a time when England has a-bounteous wheat harvest, amounting to 7,000,000 quarters, waiting to bo reaped. The homo-grown 6upply will meet requirements for ten weeks, so that with the amount already in hand thoro is a four months' supply available. And this will be added to by importations from Canada and the United States during tho next few weeks, as it is not'likely that the North Atlantic trade route will be materially affected by the war. The Government has taken stops to encourage the shipment of food cargoes to the United Kingdom during the war by offering to accept the war risks on vessels and cargoes up to per cent, of valuo. With regard to meat, the United Kingdom is always in a somewhat better position than with regard to wheat. About 60 per cent, of the meat consumed in the United Kingdom is homegrown, thobalance being imported fromthe Argentine, Australia, and New Zealand. Iu London alone thero aro 31 cold storage depots with a storage capacity for 3,000,000. carcasses. The supply .of imported meat in cold storage in Groat Britain when the war broke out was sufficient for one month on the ordinary basis of consumption. It is expected that siipplies from tho Argentine and Australasia will continue to reach England, though naturally tho shipments will not be as numerous as in time of poace. But oven if meat supplies from abroad were entirely cut off, there are sufficient cattle and sheep in tho United Kingdom to supply tho market for two years at the ordinary rate of consumption. There aro about 12,000,000 cattle in the country, and about 23,000,000 sheep. But the slaughter of these animals, most of. which are required for breeding purposes in keeping up the supply of 60 per cent, of the meat consumption of the United Kingdom, would not be resorted to except to copo with a threatened meat famine.