The Frozen Meat Business.

Manawatu Herald, 10 February 1894, Page 2

The Frozen Meat Business.

A copy of Weddel & Co.'s Review of the frozen meat trade in the United Kingdom for 1898, together with a table showing the fluctations in frozen meat between 1888 and 1893, has been received by the Department of Agriculture. The number of carcases imported from New Zealand, Australia, and River Plate was as follows : —

The Review states that the general tendency of prices towards a lower level was accentuated during 1893 in the case of almost every class of meat consumed in the country, and the great problem for the colonial as well as Home producers now to solve is how to reduce the costs of production and realisation so as to enable them to dispose of an annually increasing output at inevitably lower prices, and still leave themselves a reasonable margin of profit. Regret is expressed at the fact that many of the sheep sent Home being too fat, but it is admitted that among the best grades there were numbers of sheep of choice quality equal to anything evef shipped from the colony, and tha\(^ the average quality of New Zealand "' mutton still remains far in advance of the standard of any other source of supply. The general quality of the lambs sent from the colony was not good, and the demand was never equal to the supply. There had been a marked shrinkage in the importations of New Zealand frozen mutton, and an improvement in the condition and quality of Queensland beef. Since 80th June only 700 quarters of New Zealand beef had come to hand. The prospects of a renewal of this trade on any large" scale are stated to be not at the moment (29th December) very encouraging. From the point of view of the colonial producer the general outlook is favourable rather than otherwise.

New Aus- Eiver Zealand, fcralia. Plate. 1888 939,231 112,214 954,003 1889 1,068,286 86,5491,009,936 1890 1,533,393 207,984 1,196,531 1891 1,894,105 334,684 1,1)1,137 1892 1,539,605 504,738 1,247,861 1893 1,893,604 605,692 1,373,723