FROZEN MEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1932, Page 8

FROZEN MEAT

V. -V AUSTRALIAN CONTRACT.

SYDNEY, August 18:'

j The placing of the- Britis}R;. Array !frozen imeat, ; contract, amounting '- to about; 1000- head of-cattle a.(ween, for six months, has, stimulated ,the. Australian meat trade, to a. .jexterit, ■ but it does not mean - any! direct gain-; ,to the producers. The export works; in Queensland; have closed/for. .the. sea-j ,sO;ni and/they will not, reopen ; until March next. It can., bA;i taken for grinned, therefore,; that the supplies ito fill the British Amy.^.contract .will; jfc© taken from. frozen meat held.; in 'store —meat purchased at a price practically below-tile, cost' of /production. jHowever, the contract will be of great jvalue in clearing the -London; mrirket. ■The accumulation; of.,stocks in London 'haSvcaused a seriousslnmp.in.the.Ausitrnlian meat trade. No details of the 'prices under .which, the. contract has (been secured are available, but it-' is [stated" that they show some advance ■over recent levels. If that be so, there jmight be a slight advance in prices iin the future.

I In expressing satisfaction on behalf of ;the Government because a tender had at last.been awarded to Australia. (Senator Massy Greene said , the .outlook if or the frozen meat trade' -had 'for [some months been very bljick'. The prices offered- for. export ■ beef ;,fcy' the fvariotis meat voiles during the last. ■ (trilling season had been much lielow the (cost; of production. The contract wdttty ijnasist materially in, reducing the accu,undated stocks, which had had such a idepressing effect, and so clear the way jfor any success which, jt was Hoped, ■•vould crown the efforts of the Australian delegation-at Ottawa. - A gallant fight had been put for preferential treatment from Britain. If those negotiations weTe sucecssful they vypiild ppove.a very welcome relief to the ■cattle-raising industry, a branch of primary endeavour which.had suffered ’great hardships since’ the end of the war , Sheep men. would be helped, too, ■for it would appear that the contract ; waa interchangeable/ for both mutton. and beef. j Mr J. W. Allen, secretary pf the, [Graziers’ Association of New South. (Wales, said that the■ aim .oSAustraliaqi exporters for years past Lad been to. jget contracts with the British Govern- [ ment. The, contract in .question would • undoubtedly, help the . cattle-breeding; | cregs of , west and. nprth-west, Au,|irali jx v , j ns well as Queensland, and^'rftbreor, (less the -fattening areas fofc( the -rest i of. Australia,, for it wpuld.gfve.ap outj(let- for stock .that. was not'-available previously.- : -.V i