WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 142, 11 March 1919, Page 8

WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE

-." INTERESTING' REVIEW.

In "The World's Meat Future" Mr. A. W. Poarse, F.R.G.S., editor of the "Pastoral Review," controverts a recent ■statement made by Lord HarcoufF, that , "after tho war thero would be a scarcity of .meat—almost a ' war famine. Germany, Belgium, and Holland aro faced •with a post-war deficit of 8,000,000 head of cattle, and Donmaik, Austria; Serbia, and Rumania another 8,000,000. Europe therefore would seek to import from 16,000,000't0 20,000,000 head of cattle." Mr. Pearse points out that, granted there were tho shortage of 16,000,000 head .of cattle in tho seven European countries named, that did. not mean that a similar number or more would have to be imported to makb up the shortage. There would probably be 16,000,000 to 20,000,000 adults less to eat meat, ar.d the children, or those that were loft alive, would not require much meat for a few years' after tho war. Probably countries like Denmark, Holland, Germany, and Austria ■ will'have, kept a very largo proportion of breeding stock, and in three or four years a very large increase of young cattle: could be' looked for. In the ineantime the .Argentine, Uruguay, Australia, and .New Zealand should have a very large beef reservo,' as at the present- none of these countries was shipping all their : surplus.' Sir Henry Rew, the well-known British food and stock; statistician, agrees with Mr;-Pearse. He pointed out in a recent address before the Royal Statistical Society that "during the war a, very substantial'-stimulus': had been given to overseas trade in meat, and that sources of supply hitherto almost untapped have been" developed.' It is clear that what • may" bo-termed the old 'reservoirs' from whence meat supplies have; been drawn are-expanding, and are capable of further expansion. Thero are also new and vigorous competitors! for the world's meat trade." Refrigerated tonnage after the war would bo more than ample for allrequirements; Great Britain had more at the end of 1917. than she had at the beginnipg of the war, and Italy, France, and the' United States and. other countries were .building up qiiito a largo fleet of refrigerated steamers.