BEEF AND MUTTON

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 6

BEEF AND MUTTON

Advance of Penny a Pound in Hastings The retail price of beef and mutton has been advanced by ld a pound iu butchers' shops in Hastings, following a sharp rise in the prices paid for sheep and cattle at the saieyards. JLn some cases the increase amounts to 2d a pound, altliough some butchers are still bearing the rising cost tliemselves without increasing their charges to the public. The present increase is the first that has been made by the butchers for quite a lengthy period. The figures at which butchers have had to purchase their meat have been advanciug steadily for some time, but until now these. inereases have uot been passed on to tbe public. To-day beei is said to be costing about 30 per cent more m the yards than was the case a montli ago. A plieiiomenal rise took place in the fat-cattle market at Stortiord Lodgc sale on Wednesday, when the yarding was the smallest ior many years. Coinpetition was un usually keen. . As butchers were hoiding small supplies values soared to reeord levels. Altliough the retail prices for other lines have not so far in^reased, they, too, have been steepening between the producer and the butcher. Beef and muttOn are in short supply throughout the Dominion and the outlook for an alleviation of the present position from the butchers' staudpoint i3 anything but bright. in other paris of the East Coast tat sheep have beeii bringing as much as 30/- and at Matawhero last jveek a line of 30 poor conditioned store cattle brought £10.