BEEF AND MUTTON

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1921, Page 3

BEEF AND MUTTON

DIG DROP IN VALUES. CHRISTCHURCH, March 3

There was a decided slump in mutton values iit yesterday’s metropolitan market. The tendency has tx>en downward for snipe weeks, but yesterday prices touched a particularly low level. Prime wether mutton sold at trom 4d to 4 J l l per lb. and good ewe mutton at 3d to dpi. secondary ewe towards tile (lid of the side selling at less than 3d. prices were the lowest for several years, and in view of tbe slump it is rather fortunate that feed iiUplentiful. Prime lamb sold at from 7)d to 7RI per lb, a few pens touching Sd. A satisfactory feature of the lamb sale is that the principal export buyers operated spiritedly. Prime ox beef showed an easing, but not to the extent recorded in mutton. Secondary beef, however, showed a decided drop. As a resit.t of the lower prices, butchers notify elsewhere a ieduction of Id per II) in tie retail- price of meat.

FALL AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, Marcli 2

There uas a substantial retraction in the prices of beef at the fat stork sales held at Westfield to-day. the difference on last week’s values being £2 per head. Export buyers were not operating, and the entry was fai in excess of local requin meuts. Competition was dull throughout. A new scale embodying reductions in the retail prices of meat will be announced in detail by the Master Butchers’ Association toward the end of this week. The reduced rates will come into operation from Monday next. Until full details are given, it is not possible to indicate the full effect of the reductions. Some joints will, however, be one penny a pound cheaper and some one-halfpenny. Olliers, on the other hand, will not be reduced at all. The decision to lower the prices was reached at a meeting of the master butchers held on Monday evening. The cause behind the decision is the present state ol the market for fat stock. The abstention from buying by the freezing companies has had thc effect of bringing down the

prices for the home market. There was a considerable fall in rates for both beef and yiutton at the Westfield sales last week. The tendency of the market for some time past lias lieen continuously downward. It was stated this week that beef which was realising 45s per 1001 bat the salevards at the beginning of the season was now selling for 255. BURNSIDE PRICES SLUMP. DUNEDIN,’ March 2.

There were large yardings in each department of lat stock at Bui aside today., It was very evident from the outset that freezing buyers were not keen operators. During th epast few days statements have been made that the bottom had fallen out of the tat stock market ,anil to a certain extent these statements, unfortunately for t' e producers, have proved to be correct. The general effect on the stock fattening community will be disastrous. The members of the butchering trade reduced their retail prices last week, and a further reduction will he made this week. The reduction for mutton will be from lid to 2d per lb, according to quality. Householders can look forward for a reduction of fully U per lb at least in prices for beef, and they should also be aide to purchase lamb at cheaper rates than those which have been lately ruling. Freezing buyers to-day were giving 35s per 1001 b lor prime ox beef, and 30s per 1001 b for second-class beef. For good-class freezing mutton they were giving up to 4]il per lb. These are very low prices, lower than have obtained for a number of years, and it is believed by many who are in the business that they will prove to lie bedrock rates for this season. PRESENT PRICES. WELLINGTON, March 2

Present meat prices per H> in the Wellington-Taranaki district, which, however, are subject to reduction, eom-