Frozen Meat Trade.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 325, 29 May 1894, Page 3

Frozen Meat Trade.

The London report of Nelson Bros., Limited, for the month ending 20th April containa the following :— New Zealand Mutton.— Seven vessels have arrived, bring 150,897 carcases, but as these came to a bare market,, two cargoes, of about 25,000 were absorbed before the other vessels were discharged, on one occasion about 200 aheap were aU that could be mustered for the early market, the smallest number pitched, perhaps, since New Zealand mutton first appeared at Smithfield. These heavy shipments. coupled with the expected advent of a .further 57,000 ia the current month, created a scare, chiefly amongst holdera who had bought to arrive, c if., and prices retrograded from 4£ d and sdp3rlb, readily obtained early in the _^nil»,;to. 3J4 per .lb and even leak vThiaiall was not justified by the stock on hand and expected arrivals. Oa Ist April the stores were practically bare ; since then they have been replenished by 125,614 carcases, the afloats to arrive in all May are 155,629, a total of 281,243, or little over ten weeks' supply, taking the average weekly consumption of the last three years, or taking the first quarter of this year as a basis, sufficient to last only till the second week in June. On Januaay Ist 1894, the itooks bf New Zealand sheep in London were 176,000 the arrivals to March 30th were 121,067 ; these bad all gone into consumption by end of Marcb, showing* weekly output of 22,850. Tonnage in New Zealand is very short and April ani May shipments are likely to be small. Tbe Wellington Bas discharged-her cargo. Tbe greater part of hor meat was not actually un- , found, but ao bleached and perished that it ie selling as damaged, and has helped to upset the market. The Gothic is landing her enrgo in admir■ble order, bright and fresh as when it lett New Zealand; the condition says much for tlie Hall system of refrigeration. Today's prices are : — Beet Canterbury sheep, 4Jd to 4*d per lb ; Dunedin, Southland, Welllington, &c.y3£d te 4d 'per lb. =New Zealand Lambe. — Arrivals have been heavy, 96,605 in all, and there are afloat, due in England by end of May, 133,744. There has been a heavy fail in price, from 6 Jd and 7d per lb to 4£ to s±d. Lowering prices to much was unnecessary, uncalled for, but parcels were so distributed, and holders so anxious to realise, tbat almost a panic resulted. The consignments generally have been of unusually good quality, some of the Can terbury parcels renr prime, though a little over sfee. There have been a number of damages amongst these, many apparently tainted before freezing- Then have been a few lots of inferior, very few compared to previous years, amrTfbOse have sold at low rates but their full Value. We quote best lambs from 4£d to 5Jd per lb.