STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bt Daornt.

Weekly Sttck Skies : Fortnightly : ftunsiie, Wednesdays InverwfM, Tuesdays Aikburt«, Tuesday* . Monthly: A4*»it«»,We*ne«d»y» Cll9tmtt Mmanrfoß. Ftrtnifhtly: Winton, and WaiBalclutha, Fridays k( L ual . W - „ Gore. Tueeiayt Periodically: ©wnaru, Tuesdays Heriot, Kelsc and Kye- , bunt.

The prices at the Addington "and BurnBid© sales show no change on the previous week. The drjr weather in North Canterbury has continued, and the market for store sheep and lambs would be dower than it is were it not that South Canterbury, and even Southland, buyers are in a position to give fair rates. Exporters operate mainly in Jambs, and only buy prime wethers, few of this quality being obtainable. The Pastoralists' Review of 15th February thus deals with the position and prospects of the Australian meat -trade : — j The trade generally is quiet, practically the only slaughtering for export going on at the time of writing being somewhere about 10,000 lambs a week in Victoria. These are mostly drawn from Gippsland, and it is- not anticipated that the supply will last much longer. Elsewhere in Australia the lamb season is finished, except for clearing stores. Some further useful rains have fallen in the pastoral districts o{ New South Wales and Queensland, and it is hoped that in the course of two or three months sufficient mutton will be coming to hand to permit respectable «hipinents being again made. At present sheep «ro dear, fetching from* 2Jd to 3d per Ib, *nd until they drop materially exporters cannot touch them. In course of conversation with a representative of one of the leading export firms, the writer gathered that there is every prospect of a very, fair increase in the shipments ot mutton from Queensland <luring the current half-year. Flocks there are increasing rapidly, and the recent rains have put the country in great heart, so there does not seem to be any reason why the total for January to June. 1907 (63,000 carcases), should not be at least doubled this six months. Of course even if the total were trebled it would be a very small drop in the ocan of imports into the United Kingdom. Still, it would be something to keep the Queensland works going, and might be taken as a promise of better to follow. With regard to the mutton prospects in New South Wales and Victoria, it is a different story, and it does not look as though th 1907 total of 323,000 carcases from New- South Wales and 149.000 from Victoria would be exceeded by much before the end of June next. The writer goes on to say that the beef trade from Queensland shows no improvement at present, stock suitable for export being scarce and prices too dear Jfor profitable export, so that the frozen meat compani*><? are doing very little, and probably it will take two years yet before live stock reaches a profitable export level. In view of > the operations of the American Meat Trust in Britain, this is particularly regrettable, as it. means that Queensland, is ..perhaps losing a great opportunity to fight the trust by putting a big supply of primo beef on the English market at once and obtaining a footing". This same writer takes a serious view of the probable effects of the actions of this American Trust, and has fa. good deal to cay on the subject. I extract the following, from which it will be seen that Sir Montague Nelson does not think that New Zealand frozen meat will be affected, although other reliable authorities do: — To anyone well versed in current meat market features, the operations of the trust have had an added interest since they got « stand in South America. The opinions I have ventured to express from noting the effect already produced upon markets and prices here of the beef and mutton shipments from Swifts' works at La Plata are. I think, fully confirmed by the present position and prospects of the frozen meat trade. It is difficult in reading the market reports and seeing what is going on' in Smithfield to come to any other conclusion than that the hold on the Argentine shipping trade which the Americans are getting is bound in some way or other to work out to the disadvantage of the Australasian. Tie grand motto of the trust has been to do the business and take the profit. But the beet way to treat this subject is •to go to experienced persons and get their ideas. I aave done this with Sir Montagu Nelson, < who has been good enough to give me the following notes for the Review. " I have been very 1 "much interested," Sir Montague said, " -in the articles which have appeared in the public press on the American Bbef Trust, but 1 am waiting for the moral. I>ooked at from a national point of view, there is no doubt that it is a. very seious Simtter that so large a part of the meat supply of the United Kingdom should be in the

hands of * foreign country, but so far I don't' think those engagerl in the Australian and New Zealand froze-1 meat trade have much to complain about. My impression is that the trust is not starting retail shops, but wholesale depots— -thf.t is, places where butchers can buy their m<!at instead' of going to Smithfield. To the English farmer and butcher the operations ot the trust will be detrimental, but I don't think they will affect the sale of colonial frozen meat much. They get 6d per lb for their beef, and we get 3d, but from a national viewpoint it is | bad. "If the trust does succeed in getting control of the Argentine trade, such action ia bound to lower th© price of New Zealand meat. Nor do I see what is to prevent Swifts from going to Australia and New Zealand after they have secured themselves in the Argentine. The only remdy is a small duty on foreign meat. Up to now the Beef Trust has done no harm to the British public. In fact, it has kept down the price rather than let it go up. But such a trust is, of course, detrimental to the British farmer and stockholder. But I see nothing like a crisis in prospect, nor do I see that the frozen mutton trade will be much disturbed." All agree that ordinary New Zealand mutton will have to come down to within Jd to id of Plate meat— that is, when we are importing our 200,000 sheep per month again. The outlet for New Zealand mutton lately has been in danger of being lost. The Plate are most anxious to keep up their output Swifts ar« grading their mutton moat carefully, and have imported into the La Plata pedigree cattle (Herefords) to improve their beef, and in every way they are improving matters so as to put a good article before their customers. In 1908 the Plate will probably rule the mutton market (also for beef), but Australasian will do an increased I and profitable lamb trade. This from a most reliable informant. — — _ . The shipments of frozen mutton and lamb up to date are less from both New Zealano and Australia than last season, but the gcod rains now reported in Australia should enable exporters there to reduce the shortage, and it is probable that between now and June Australin shipments will be heavier than for many years past, as the country is well stocked, and" only rains wer© needed to fatten off a. large number. It is hardly likely, however, that New Zealand exports will this year equal those of last year. The January shipments from South America, New Zealand, and Australia were as follows : — Aiu-trelia.— 44,030 carcases mutton, 107,000 lamb. 2100 quarters beef. New Zealand.— lo6,ooo carcases mutton 231,000 lamb, and no beef. South America.— 22s,ooo carcases mutton 14,000 lamb, 200,000 quarters beef. Tho shortage in New Zea'and and Australian shipments for January is counterbalanced by the large increase in South American shipments for the month, so that there will be no shortage on the Home ma»ket. From Messrs Weddei and Co.'s Review I gather that there is much to encourage us in trying to increase our frozen beef, or, betier still, starting the export of chilled beef from New Zealand. The import of frozen and chilled beef from the United States is year by year decreasing owing to increased consumption in the States, whose population grows rapidly. The Review says it seems evident that the United States cattle, under changed methods of farming, either are not being fattened up so thoroughly (for the quality is deteriorating) as formerly, or that the demand for prime beef in America is overtaking the supply of fat cattle. River Plate imnort* of beef, too, were smaller than in 1906. As regards the CJnii<?d Kingdom, the position is as follows ; —The agricultural returns for 1907 record a reduction of 63.020 head of cattle— viz.. 11,628.935 head, as compared with 11,691,955 head in 1906,— and a n increase of no less than 802.232 sheep— that 13, 30,012,267 head, as against 29,210,035 head the previous year. Analysising the statistics, it is seen that there was an augmeniation of 85.872 milch cows, and a decrease of 148,892 head of "Other cattle." Tim is very conclusive evidence that the British farmer is catering less and less each year for the beef market, and is going in more exclusively for daipy produce. A further decrease in, the supply of Honsjegrown beef appears inevitable from the figures quoted above. In the United Stat<v? necordins: to returns published by the United States Department of Agriculture, there wert? 72,534,000 head of cattle and 53,240,000 sheep last '-ear. These figures show practically no increase on the previous year, whilst the population increased largely. All these facts seem to point to an opening for prime bt*«f. which New Zealand, it is well known, is in a position by climate «nd pastures to produce. I think the time is at hand when the Dominion will play a larger part in this trade. Encouragement to do this is given by the improved methods of shipping chilled beef. On this point the Review says : "In September very considerable interest was created in the River P^ato trade by the shipment of a parcel of chilled beef, per s.s. Guardiana, under the new metned known as the Linley process of the Impro-ved Chilling- Company (Ltd.), for assiTtin/r refrigeration in keeping beef .'n good condition. The beef was carried throughout the voyage at the high average tempciature of Sl^deg Fahrenheit, and was delivered here in sownd, bright condition, entirely free from either frost or moiftl In arjpearance the beef in the quarter and after being cut xw as n-early as possible resemMec 1 fresh-killrcl beef, and was unanimous'y apreetl to be nearly perfection in the malte r of condition. \rivine<»raents are being- ir-ad-e to extend the use of the system." Some of the beef was left on board the steamer for a period of 45 days, and was in perfect condition at the end of that time, so that the shipment of Australian and New Zealand prime beef to arrive in perfect condition appears to be now brought within the bounds of possibility. Then as regards the opening of Continental markets to our frozen meat. I gather that the prospects here are also hopeful, although it may take some time before it comes about. Live stock in proportion to the population is gradually decreasing. No marked progress has been mad-3 on the Continent towards importing frozen meat, but considerable agitation continues more particularly in Germany and France, to remove the prohibitive duties. The International Congress of the Refrigerating Industries is to be Tield in Paris in June with the object of giving prospective Continental consumers of refrigerated produce an opportunity of becoming more

familiar with the trade. England, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand will have representative committees, and it is expected' that the congress will assist in interesting French and German consumers, and pave the way for opening their doors to trade.