MEAT INDUSTRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4696, 9 May 1924, Page 3

MEAT INDUSTRY.

SOUTH AMERICAN MARKET. INCREASED KILLING PREDICTED. The South American representative of the N.Z. Meat Producers' Board in his last monthly letter has given some very interesting particulars of the general conditions as applying to live-stock in the Argentine. He writes as follows :— •■1 had a lengthy conversation yesterday with Mr Gresham, manager of Armour and Company’s interests here ami he assures me that his company anticipates an increased killing on the South Coast this season, which he calculates in ten to fifteen per cent, over last year's figures. In his opinion tlie same conditions would apply to the other plants. 1 also saw Mr G. C. Parr, manager of Swift and Co.. and that gentleman gave me the same impression as Armour’s manager, but added that the earlier anticipations had on some former occasions proved to be wrong, and nobody could be sure of the state and numbers of sheep slaughtered till the season was over, as prolonged drought with strong win,ls in the beginning of March caused the sheep in that part of the country to lose condition rapidly. Mt Barr says it would be safe to calculate, at the very least, an equal number of sheep to be slaughtered this season on the South Coast. It surprises me that they are able to maintain their sheep kill in that part cf the country, as the conditions there arc similar to the Falkland Islands, where no sheep are available this year for export, while last year I. went there and purchased 37,000 for importation here to finish off on the good pastures here, though there were several lots of good quality fat wethers when they were bought in the Falklands. There is a good demand for all classes of fat sheep here, especially lambs, which are in i equest at higher prices. The Messrs Gibson sold the breeding flocks on one of their sm;»>l estancias and got very good prices. “Cattle.—There is a good offering of best quality chillers, which are worth 3.562 d per lb put in works. It is considered by well informed persons that best quality fat cattle will be scarcer in the near future, and prices higher. There is no interest for what was formerly known as •Freezer' grade; big, heavy, or plain quality cattle are classified as ‘Continental,” as about half of the froze i beef exported now goes to the Continent. This grade of cattle is worth 2625 d to 2.812 d per lb in v orks. Canner cows are worth 2.062 d and canner steers 2.25 d. There is more interest for store and breeding cattle, and values are higher. It is very provable that prices for all classes of cattle will be considerably highei within a year, as the continuous slaughter of an extraordinary hign percentage of. calves, male and female, will have its'effcct on the future supply. "Pasture is good to the south of the province of Buenos Aires, though large areas of alfalfa lands have suffered from the prolonged drought and the extraordinary quantity of small naHvc locusts, which have been more destructive this year than evei picviously known, and have eaten up all vegetation in many districts, and wha r . they have left has little feeding value for cattle. This is such an enormous, good country, as far as its soil .and climate goes, and what may be detrimental to the production from one class of camp will equally favour another. The Provincial Government has been studying the respective advantages of the two freezing plants offered it..

‘•Considerable numbers of live cattle continue to be shipped to Germany, Belgium, and Italy, mostly big cattle that would yield over 9001 b of dressed beef, though some light-weight, 66011> (dressed), Abcrdeen-Angin steers have been sent to the Switzerland market.

Sheep prices are as follows : Shprn wethers, 6.187 d to 6.5624; shorn ewes. 5.25 d to 5.625 d; shorn lambs, 5.25 d to 9d ; lambs in wool, 8.437 d to 9.1 «7d. The pound sterling is worth to-day 12.80 pesos.”