WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1927, Page 3

WELLINGTON NEWS

EX PORTS OF AIE AT FROAI NEW ZEALAND.

(Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, June (>. A fair quantity of meat is exported lr.nu New Zealand each year, frozen lamb being the chief of these. Last year there was exported from the Dominion 1.9(9.057 whole carcases of lamb, and of tin's quantity the United Kingdom absorbed 1.915.209 leaving 3.91 carcases for oi lier consumers. Of this balance Canada look 1000. Australia 1028. Hawaii 1111. Ilong Kong 500 and small lots were shipped to Fiji. Western Samoa, United States and Society Islands. In addition to the land) carcases (i2Ge«t. of joints of lamb were exported, all being shipjtcd to the 1 nited Kingdom, and Britain is thus our only market for lamb, and it is doubtful whether other countries could lie induced to so increase consumption as to he worth while catering for their requirements'; In respect to mutton 2.019.979 carcases were shipped last year, and of this lot 2.918.960 carcases went to the United Kingdom, and here again Britain is the only market. The rest of the mutton went to the islands in the Racine, Western Samoa taking 67 eareases. Hawaii 32, Fiji 16, and Society Islands 4. Of 1923ewt. of joints of mutton the United Kingdom took l l h'tewt, I onga 1 1 9rwt, Western Samoa 153ewt. and Fiji lolcwt. It is a. matter for comment that no country in Continental Europe lias taken direct shipments of lamb and mutton. X> doubt it little does go there on purchase in London, hut the qiiuntit v must tc very small. Our exports of frozen licet last year were cxceedinglv small, amounting to only 388,701 cwt.. the bulk of which went to Britain, for the quantity exported there was 326,G6ic«t. Belgium took 18,2G8e.wt. France 15,58-lcwt.. Italy 20,831ewt., Hawaii 7,(MGcwt., and the United States 252 cwt. Singularly enough Australia, took -I9cwt. and Pitcairn Island ahsorlied lewt. Jn past years the shipments of beef to Belgium. France, Germany and Italy have been fairly large, particularly to Italy, hut these countries tire building up (Mr herds, and the tendency is to check imports. The frozen beef trade is contracting, and is dominated In- the chilled beef from South America. The Argentine is capable of supplying Continental Europe with all the low grade heel required. There docs not appear l» he any great scope Tor the expansion ot the trade, in frozen ijebf, hut it is believed that the Aleut Board has designs of imposing the'Paterson plan on the public in order to stimulate the production of beef. Under this plan the people of New Zealand uYTI le forced to pay 2d or :!d per lb more lor beef than its-Loudon parity, .-mil the money so raised will he .dv-

< n -is a subsidy to Hi,' producers, 'ibis would immediately raise the cast H living and would read <m the I'armc, ’ s I,s il "hole. Plie statistics slum 1 that Lyttelton is the principal port ior lamb shipments. 1.f.Vi.100 carcases naving been exported from there last rear. Wellington ionics next with 960,333 carcases, Auckland and Dunedin exporting less than 300,000 careases each. Of the shipments of mutton Wellington takes first place with 5-12,597 carcases. Lyttelton being next with 243.127. The shipments of veal last year amounted to 53,928 cwt. and about 50 per cent or 2fi.77!J cwt went to Italy, 19,400 cwt to the United Kingdom and OlOOcwt to Hawaii. The shipments of frozen pork amounted to only 69.943 cwt, and practically the whole of It went to the l nited Kingdom which took 07,434 cwt. Australia absorbed 2418 cwt arid Italy 55 cwt. Tn addition to the above 050 cwt of salted lieef and 3 cwt of salted pork were shipped last year. Hares and rabbits also figure in the statistics for last year. The number of hares shipped last year was 11,454. and the number of rabbits 409.604. The meat exports of last year included 2778 cwt kidneys, 70,739 ll> bacon, 481,3881 b hams of which 440,4011 b went to Australia, and the producers in the Commonwealth are endeavouring to shut out New Zealand hog products by nil increase in the Customs tariff. There was also an export of 92,902 cwt of meat extract. The exports of In mb were valued at £5.595,295, mutton £2.128,054, lieef £511,890, pork £270,918, veal £120,801, kidneys -£ll.117, rabbits ' £17,193, salted beef £9,440, harse £789, salted pork £l2, bacon £4,451. hams £27,255 and meat extract £15,333. It would seem that the development of the pig industry calls for greater attention for New Zealand ought to be able to do more in this direction.