Frozen Meat Trade.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 277, 2 April 1894, Page 2

Frozen Meat Trade.

Report for last San JTranciso mail : The trade during the past month has been very slow, and but for very small supplies there would have been a serious shrinkage in prices all round. The principal arrival have been the " Rangatira " and " Aorangi," from New Zealand ports, but as the latter had large consignments of butter and cheese, her quantity of meat was small. The winter so far has generally been ; of a mild character, so that the ; English farmers are looking forward to recoup themselves in whole or part for the severe losses caused by the long drought of last year. We may, therefore, have a much larger supply of home produce than was anticipated. This would militate against high prices for frozen meat. Of mutton the stocks are very low, i and prices remain firm. North Canterbury brands are making up to 3s Id for choice parcels. Other brands of New Zealand mutton remain steady ! Australian mutton suddenly advanced \ fourteen days ago, owing to restricted , arrivals, and has remained firm since. The present values, however, cannot ■ be maintained when larger shipments • come forward. It is a long time since Australian mutton reached so high a \ figure. The Rangatira brought about 4000 . North Canterbury lambs, and these l have proved to bb up to the usual ! standard of quality. On account of | the mild weather they are meeting a fair demand, and the present price is decidedly higher than will be main tamed. Beef. — There is a shrinkage in value . of say \d per lb., caused chiefly by 1 large arrivals of American chilled beef. \ This is quoted at 3s 4d to 3s 6d for 1 hinds, and 2s 4d to 2s 6d for forequarters. As the next large consignment of Queensland beef is not ex--1 pected for some six weeks, there is room for a rebound in values. At the same time the shipments ex Otarama 1 were not equal in quality to previous arrivals, and therefore not so saleable. The present quotations are : — Mutton (per 81 bs) — New Zealand, Best North Canterbury, 3s to 3s Id : New Zealand, medium and good grades, 2s 9d to 2a lOd ; Australian and Queensland sheep, 2s 7d. Lamb — Best North Canterbury, 4s 2d to 4s 4d per 81 bs. Beef (per 81bs)—Queensland hind quarters, prime, 2s 5d to ! 2s Cd ; Queensland fore quarters, 2s 2d , to 2s 3d.