FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 47, 24 January 1938, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

INCREASE IN LAMB KILLINGS

THIS SEASON’S SHIPMENT.

Substantial increases in the shipments of lamb, pork and boneless beef were recorded in New Zealand’s meat oxports during the period from October 1 to December 31, tho first three months of the current soason, according to figures supplied by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board. Exports 'of chilled beef and mutton to all parts were smaller.

The largest advance was recorded by lamb, over 100,000 more carcases being shipped from the Dominion in these three months than there were in the correspond* ing period last season, and of the 845,317 carcases exported 570,715 were shipped last month alone. Similarly, mutton showed the largest decrease, over 30,000 fewer carcases boing shipped this season. Exports from October 1 to December 31 of tho present season compare with those of the corresponding period last season as follow:—

Boneless beef (bags) 58,341 35,211 In general, considerably larger stocks were hold in the Dominion at December 31 than there were at the same time last season. Lambs unshipped totalled 806,533 carcases, compared with 750,704; wether mutton stocks were almost, twice as large at 56,021 carcases, compared with 28,953; ewe mutton was almost 14,000 higher at 20,315; frozen beef showed an increase of almost 5000 quarters at 7169; chilled beef was 1561, compared with 2332; and boneless beef had jumped from 13,532 to 48,231 bags. With the exceptions of lamb and baconcrs, stocks in ships to sail were also greater. A comparison of killings in the first . three months. of the season was as follows:—

Boneless bobby veal (freight carcases) 70,171 67,672 Sundries (freight carcases) 52,431 45„326 No South Island killings for chilled or frozen beef had been made, but lamb killings went from 295,666 carcases to 356,462, compared with the smaller North Island increase from 1,308,617 to 1,390,755. In all classes of killings, however, the North Island shows a considerable advance on tho South Island figures. It is notioeable that the North Island has a practical monopoly of pork exports, ovor 167,000 porkers arid baconcrs being killed, compared with about 8000 from the South Island.

1937-38 1936-37 Chilled beef (quarters) . .. 33,571 35,516 Frozen beef (quarters) .. . 37,094 36,255 Mutton (carcases) . 258,107 286,997 Lamb (carcases) .. 845,317 729,046 Pork (carcases) .. 127,982 119,517

1937. 1936. Chilled beef (quarters) .. 44,121 34,108 Frozen beef (quarters) .. 5,897 3,498 Wethers (carcases) 101,057 70,737 Ewes (carcases) 21,296 14,478 Lambs (carcases) 1,747,217 1,604,283 Porkers (carcases) 91,081 87,764 Baconers (carcases) 84,947 92,310 Boneless beef (freight carcases) 83,720 27,973