RECORD PREDICTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26633, 2 December 1947, Page 6

RECORD PREDICTED

FORTHCOMING SEASON STOCK iN GOOD ORDER A record killing season in Otago and probably throughout the Dominion is predicted by officials of the main freezing works. Lambing percentages have been generally high and the season has been an excellent one. Stock came through the winter exceptionally well, and the. weather remained satisfactory during the lambing season. Farmers and stock agents consider that the country has seldom looked better tha:i at the present time. Feed is plentiful and fears of a dry spell were allayed when heavy rain began to fall late on Sunday afternoon. Stock in all parts of the province has seldom looked in such condition as at the present time. It is not expected that killing at the Burnside works of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., will be commenced before the New Year, when full teams will be engaged to cope with what are expected to be record killings. The various freezing companies are endeayouring to organise labour to cope with the early peak killing which is anticipated this season.

The annual turnover of the Burnside works has approached ' 700,000 carcasses in recent years, and it is expected that all past tallies will be exceeded in the coming season. In addition to the 7000 sheep which can be accommodated in the yards at Burnside, to keep the supply of lambs constant there have to be another 7000 on trucks bound for the works and a further 7000 on their way to the railway. Soon a great movement of lambs will thus be starting towards the freezing works and their ultimate destination in most cases will be Britain