MEAT EXPORT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 3, 28 September 1921, Page 6

MEAT EXPORT TRADE

NEED FOR BETTER METHODS A NEW ZEALANDER’S IMPRESSIONS From Our Own Correspondent. Palmerston North, September 26. Mr David Buchanan, a resident of Tiakitahuna, and a well-known Ayrshire breeder, who has just returned from a visit to the Old Country, was interviewed by a Dominion representative on Saturday. Mr. Buchanan left here about six months ago, and ‘went by way of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. The trip Home was uneventful. Landing in London in the middle of the coal strike, he found things generally in a very bad way, and was advised if he wished to get to Scotland to start at once, as it was possible that the trains might be cut out at any moment. Before leaving, however, he arranged to visit the meat markets at Smithfield, and did so accompanied by a Queenslander, a Victorian, and a representative of Now South Wales. The magnitude of the place and the facilities for handling meat astonished him. He says that each member of the party went in with the idea that the meat exported from his country would hold its own anywhere, but after B°’?® through the markets they came out with a feeling of absolute disgust at the manner in which their products were put upon the market as compared with tho products of other places. Unfavourable Comparison. The meat from North America ant the Argentine looked fresh and pood, while both the Australian and the Lew Zealand product showed neglect from slaughtering to marketing, and had a by no moans palatable look The mistake was more apparent in the beet than in the mutton. In the first it was pointed out that the beef ca - ci.sscs were cut up before they had sufficiently set, with the result that at the inside cutting edge of each ' in the freezing process the meat nad shrunk away from the bone, mohi'ng it not only unsightly, but practically compelling the cutting away of a rib on each quarter before the meat could be offered to the public, resulting in a loss of quite Wb on which, of course, had to be in having The trimming of tho carcasses? more especially was also objected to as the blood had never been sufficiently washed from the meat and had congealed, and therefore, locked very had when it came to market This naturally told against the New Zealand and Australian when it was compared with the Amer can and Argentine chilled beef, which was enclosed in double wr app , e 7 'l™ opened un clean and fresh, w ii-e shanks- of our quarters were left unC °ln r the sheep and lambs there seemed to be the same neglect m the slaughtering. while the shanks were leit uncovered, with the result that when the carcasses were handled the warmth, engendered caused the meat to thaw in that particular part, so that moisture often caused by dirty hand" Tan down and discoloured further portions of case, making the whole appear uns ghtly In discussing the matter with a butcher, Mr. Buchanan mentioned the number of sheep and cattle'-which coni be killed by a man m a day. ine tradesman replied that he could pe plenty of men to do the same work, but that ’in the Old Country they were not allowed to do so, as turning out such unsightly meat would not be. tolerate I. The General consensus of opinion in the marks was that the quality of. our product was all that could be desired, and considerably better than . article, but that the conditions under which it was treated at the feezing fatoiies and in the handling left a good deal to be desired. In connection with beef it was pointed out that in sevenng the hide from the carcass the bark was so broken as to cause the carcass to look unsightly, and the nnpa ateble look of the meat caused people to pay co siderably more for infermr meat from other places which had been more care-, fully dressed. So far as mutton Srned, that from the was in double wrappers, the result of winch was that whe'n tli& outer one was taken off at the market the inner cover was quite clean, and the carcasses were delivered without a stain. t Call for Improved Methods. From his inquiries, Mr. Buchanan is of opinion that improved methods of slaughtering will have to be adopted if wi- wished to hold our own in the Home markets, and that both beef and murcon should be double-bagged and fully cm ered right up to end of the i«ank Mr Buchanan arrived in London just when a quantity of meat (both beef and mutton), which had been sent from here to America had been dumped on the market. The length of time since i had been frozen, and the gfreat amount of handling it had received caused it to have a very sorry' appearance,. and naturally buyers passed; it over in favour of meat with a fresher appearance and more blood on it In Birmingham, Mr. Buchanan saw New Zealand lamb offering at Is. M. per lb., and a butcher in that city shewed him a shoulder of our mutton winch was as good as could he produced. Ths tradesmfn told him that if he cou.d only rely on getting that qualitj be would never sell anything * was very seldom that such stuff tamo h“s way. He said that 90 per cent, of the people were eating New Zealand and Australian meat, but were under the impression that they 1 were getting Homekilled. , , In the Glasgow market he saw hundreds of bulls, of a class that would be termed "potters” here, selling at fro to £6O each. Calves from a day to a month old sold at from £1 to £3 each. These animal a were slaughtered and pt on the market as tongue and veal, which sold at as high as ss. per lb He could <ce do r-.n"-m why Yew Zealand should not establish a market for such goods readv made, and sent Home in a chilled state The public were now tired or tinned goods, and were eating more and more of what might be termed ma'le-up stuff He was satisfied that for it there was 'an excellent market, winch the Government should make even iffoit to After visiting Hie Smithfield markets, Mr. Buchanan called upon the AgentGeneral, who pleaded' that he was unaware of the unsatisfactory. Mate in which our meat was arriving in London, and said Hint it was .a matter for his staff Mr- Buchanan was not the onlyone who interviewed Sir James Allen on th" subject the same day. It has now been arranged that a party of New Zealanders who met in London, will, when they all return, wait upon the ment and bring this state of affairs under their notice. There was no doubt, he said, that if tho Dominion wished to hold its own in the meat export trade It must have a faster service between here and London, and better methods of slaughtering and handling the products. He pointed out that the service now was no faster than it was some forty years ago. lietween six and seven weeks .being occupied on the passage.