MEAT PRICES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 140, 2 March 1918, Page 8

MEAT PRICES

ARGENTINE AND NEW ZEALAND

EFFECT OF TRUST CONTROL

The statement lias been made recently that Hit! prices of beef and mutton in Argentina are higher tliuii in , this country. '801110 figures have been prepared lor the Prime Minister; snowing actual prices obtainable for ; beef cattle and Uα sheep in the Argentine and in New Zealand as on April 1, 1917. from these it would appear that the control of the Argentine markets by the Meat Trust has not been for the benefit of the; meat producers. On March 28 extra prime bullocks wore sold at Burnside market, near Dunedin, for £ l l'A :2s. o'd., wid the price ot such bullocks in Argentina was' £14 Ills, to £15 105. Good bullocks ranged from £16 ]()s. to £18 los. at Buruside, from £13 17s. 6d. to £21 17s. fid. at Westfield, near Auckland, and tho Argentine prices were from £S los. to £I'U 10s. Extra good steers ranged from £lo 15s. to £17 10s. ih Argentina,' and "good" frnm £U to £14 17s. (id. In only one class of mutton did the Argentine compare in price with that paid for New Zealand. For best wethers Argentine, growers- seem to have received about 0. pound a head more than New Zealand farmers received for their best wethers, but it should be understood that those sheep are bigger and heavier than those , grown in this country. The meat is admittedly inferior in quality, and before the war it commanded a. loss 'price in the London market, but wether mutton lias bad increased value because it has been used for army rations. For all other classes of sheep the Argentine prices were from lower, and for lambs the Argentine prices were from 10s. to 12s. less thkn the New Zealand rates. Under tho controlled system at Home, Argentine meat is bringing as much now in the retail market as New Zealand meat. In reference to the price of cattle, the Argentine prices are especially bad by reason /of the fact that tlic. Argentine herds, heing bred for beef, and very carefully bred, are generally better than those of this country. The best cattle there would be hetter than any that would be commonly offered for sale in. this country. Argentine beef is of excellent quality, and 'the beasts aro bigger than we see generally here.