CHILLED BEEF

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 December 1927, Page 4

CHILLED BEEF

gpHE beef export trade is ul nothing like so great impoi.:i<i e to us in New Zealand as it is to our neighbours in Australia, and particularly to Queensland and tire Northern Territory, in which there are immense regions that as yet are suitable for no other purpose than cattle-raising. Still, even with us there are very substantial areas that are much more suitable as runs for cattle than for sheep, while there are others where a combination of sheep and cattle grazing would be most profitable were there but a good export market for the beef. The efforts that are being made in Australia to apply the “chilling'’ process, which has given Argentina such a great advantage, are therefore of very distinct interest to us here. On this subject an announcement was recently made by Mr. C. H. Rayson, the Melbourne head of a big meatexporting concern, and placed before Mr. L. C. M. S. Amery during his recent stay in Australia.' In it Mr. Rayson declared that chilling of beef will place Australia on a competitive basis with the Argentine. Prices realised already with bad marketing conditions had been within a fraction of a penny of Argentine prime prices. A study of the world’s meat situation from 1921 according to Mr. Rayson’s statement, clearly indicates that Australia must make some attempt to ship at least a portion of her beef to the chilled meat market. “The facts relating to my company's activities in the development of the chilled meat tr»de,’’ he continues, “are interesting. Four shipments have been made totalling 1400 quarters. Twice this year we have been able to market chilled beef irrespective of quality when Australian frozen meat was unsaleable. Average time from killing to marketing has boon 63 days. The price realised on ench occasions, despite bad marketing conditions, was within a fraction of a penny of Argentine prime prices." For the first time in Australian history, wo arc told, chilled beef has been success fully discharged nt the port of Hull and distributed a portion to Leeds. Manchester, and London, thus taking advantage of tile numerous steamers making Hull their first port of call in the United Kingdom. With the position developing ns it has against the marketing of frozen beef on a profitable basis, it has been impossible and will grow increasingly impossible for Australian beef to realise profitable price's in tho United Kingdom, and it has been impossible for the freezing works com-

panies in Australia to pay the producer - a price sufficient to cover protitbaly the production oosts. Therefore, the spending of money upon the introduction of new blood stock to increase the quality and quantity of the herds has been out of the question. The inevitable result has been that the comparison of the quality of Australian beef with Argentine has been growing more unfavourable. Reasonable returns can only be achieved by the development of the chilled beef trade, the market for which is at present colossal and increasing. A period of development of this trade must, therefore, immediately commence, and rather than have the benefits of this process developed in other countries it is hoped to enlist the practical co-opera-tion of those concerned in the meat industry, through their organisations, with the Federal and Home Governments.