FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 86, 12 April 1911, Page 4

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

TO THE EDITOII. Sir,— l have taken a great deal of interest in the campaign of Z\J--. W. D. Lysnar lo improve the hanJling, etc., oi' ourfrozen produce in London, and am pleased to npto that at lant he has got the freezing companies on hi? side. 1 think thero is another aspect of the case which could , with advantage, bo gone into by tho sheepf-irmer at this end, and that 'is the regulating of tho arrival of his produce at the other end. For tho last two ycais there has been nothing elso but a* mad rush of mutton and lamb on the English market. At the present time there are upwards of a million and a half carcases afloat, which cannot havo but anything cUe than a detrimental affect on the puces at Home. Of course, I might be toki thai this is the freezing companies funwal, if they like to buy and ship, practioally the bulk of the pioduce in a, couplo or three months that "that is •their business, so it is, but tho fa.rm.ei- has to make up for tho fieezmg companies losses. In illustration of the rushing I show hcreunder a statement from the New Zealand Trade Review of how the shipments go forward: — EXPORTS OF FROZEN MEAT TO UNITED KINGDOM FROM NEW

Total ...1,993,251 3,520,57* 352.806 You will see from the abovo that for the month of March this year that practically a million carcases have ben sent uva:. out of a total shinmeni from Beoi-embci-of about (in round numbers) of 2,000,000 carcases. Tho position to me is absolutely absurd. Why should tho meat be rushed Home holus bolus? Two years ago iho freezing companies got a, lesson, and fhey seem as if they want another one. Why cannot Now Zealand have freezing accommodation here, and so legulate- tho shipping to spread over the twelvemonths. Your London correspondent has writ ion out thai at certain poriods of the year that owing to Now Zealand meat not being available that clients havo hud to take in Argentine, and so the connection with New Zealand is lost. New Zealand producers havo the matter in their own hands, the shipments should bo regulated. The brokers who handle Now Zealand v/00l havo regular sales throughout the year ranging from January to 'November with the idea of keeping the bupply within tho demand. The &ame svstom could with equal force be applied to tho meat trade. You do not find the Argentine woik with such a blind rush as we do, if their (iguies fiom September-February are any criterion. Tho shipments from Argentine from Scntember to February for lamb and mutton in round figures are as follow : — September -... 212,000 caro, October ... 318,000 caro Novombor ... 367,000 care! December ... 175,000 care, January ... 352,000 care. February ... 239,000 care Thoir bcei shipments for the months enumerated aro practically eaual monthly shipments. Now tako Now Zealand for the same months : — September ... 130,000 carci October ... 49,000 care November ... 93,000 care, December ... 233,000 care January ... 452,000 care ■ February ... 6§3,0P0 care March 920,000 care (Argentine not available.) I am led Io believe that from April onwards tho export of mutton and lamb will bo practically lifeless (as compared with last year), and I think it a oily that such a position should not- lieuo been guarded against, and the regularity of fho lean months have been made up by keeping in sioio and then shipping. I hope somo able- pen than mine will take the matter u» and do something to improve tho stato of affairs at present happening-. — I am, etc., WETHER. Wellington, 10th April, 1911.

i^.E/.HL.U.tt.rV.L'. 1910-11. Carcases. Carcases. Mutton. Lamb. Sept 105,670 25,414 Oct 49,010 800 Nov 64,274 29,958 Dec 74,220 164,022 Jan 175.229 287,267 Feb 243,985 450,692 March ... 265,561 663,606 Total ... 977,949 1,621,759 Quarters. Beef. 8,422 10,431 5,554 13,133 13.56S 24,J82 26,657 101,947 1909-10. Mutton. Lamb. - Carcases. Carcase". Sspfc 68,261 76,516 Oct 103,737 4L',409 sfov < 79,863 44,242 Dec 90,178 86,429 Jan 8b,401 252,477 Feb 193,386 419.310 March 200,792 372,5541 Apiil 228,914 b01,875 May 309,441 622,629 June 299,546 555,844 July 2-10,107 533,476 August .... 92,625 IUO/.29 Beef. Quarters. 22,272 4,048 13,960 29,199 22,527 23,794 17,554 34,027 38,276 60,236 71,159 15,704