Frozen Meat Trade.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 254, 1 May 1897, Page 3

Frozen Meat Trade.

• ""^"^ 0 " ' ■ Owing to moderate shipments from Australia the price of frozen mutton has hardened materially, the latest quotat ions being — First quality, 3Jd per lb, and 3d per lb for secou>l quality. The quotations at the corresponding date of last year were - First quality, 3}d ; second quality, 2Jd- The Australian Meat Trades Journal thinks tke improvement will be ouly temporary. The rise, it says, bas been due without a doubt to the great curtailment which took place in New Zealand at the beginning of this year and the end of last, and there may also have Been a concurrent falling off in the export from the Argentine. Based upon last year's operations the average monthly export from Australia is 134,000 carcases of mutton and lamb, from New Zealand 184.000 carcases, and from the Argentine, 149,000 carcases. Australian shipmentto December were 220,000 car cases, but in January there were only 83,113 carcases, and in February 133, 966. The falling off in the case of New Zaaland exports in Decembor and January was even more marked. Iv December the figures wero only 167,156 carcases, in January 169,340 caucases, and in February 220,966. The January shortage in both New Zealand aud Australian shipments iz now making itself felt in deliveries in London, and bas caused the rise. It ought to afford a welcome opportunity for clearing out the cold stores. Australian exports, owing to the difficulty in obtaining freight, have continued on a very moderate scale, in March being only 71,000 carcases. But the March shipments from New Zealand probably totalled 350,000 carcases.