LONDON MEAT MARKET

Shannon News, 11 January 1929, Page 4

LONDON MEAT MARKET

An assured market for meat at profitable 'prices for some years is the welcome New Year message to New Zealand from Mr Eric H. Fitter,' a director of the well-known Smithfield firm .of that name, who . is at present in Auckland.

There is unusual interest in Mr Fitter’s visit by reason'of the fact that his family, which has been in the Smithfield business for three-quarters of a century, handled part of the first cargo of meat sent from New Zealand to London.. It was carried by the Albion line clipper Dunedin, in 1882, the total comprising 598 carcases of laflS) and 4811 of mutton and the refrigeration has been the-main-spring prices were 6|d and 6Jd a pound. \ It was no exaggeration to say that of the Dominion’s development. No longer were sheep raised for wool and pelts, and no longer was the scope of dairying limited to the local market. Kefrigeration changed the economic standards of the country. Meat works sprang up to eater for the new market and daily factories opened up new prospects. At first, in dairying, separation of creaan at “creameries” placed restrictions upon the scope of the industry, but home separation arrived, and to-day cream for the butter we export is collected over very wide areas, sometimes commencing its journey ~>y pack horse or by launch. An Ally in Development. -

“There is nothing to cause fear for slumps, ’’ said Mr Fitter. Indeed, New Zealand has every reason for the greatest confidence because the Argentine supply of meat is not So great as it was, one reason being the existence there of foot and mouth disease, and another, the employment of much land, formerly grazed, in the production of cereals.. Further, there is likely to be a diminishing supply for exportation to, England through the probability of North America, having to buy in the Argentine market. Thirty years ago North (America was England’s main source of. supply. Now . the United States cannot satisfy hex own market and is buying, from Canada, and although she has an embargo on Argentine meat, owing to the existence of foot and mouth disease, it is only a matter of time before she will be compelled to take beef from that country and the consequence will be that a 'clean’ country, such as New Zealand, will find a strong demand for meat.’’ Auckland’s Lamb Improves.

For Auckland' ;Mr Fitter; has the pleasing infonnatibn that lamb from that province has inproved very greatly in quality during the last tw years. This he attributes to more careful breeding and better feeding, through the top-dressing of pastures. His firm often judges at Smithfield shows and is in a position to know the full nature of the improvement and he considers that the time will come when' small farmers will pool their produce and consign it under an Auckland brand to gain the full reward for the skill that is being developed in breeding.

For beef he thinks the outlook dis« tinctly good. He realises that tlje bulk of the beef exported is more in the nature of a side-line, seeing that the cattle usually have their first use in maintaining pasture but thie time has arrived, in his opinion, when farmers need no longer consider beef chiefly as an implement. It should pay its-way as well as preserve pasture. “Two things are necessary, however/ * said Mr Fitter. “One i- s that beef should be better dressed for shipment, and the second i 3 that it should be more carefully handled in transport before killing. New Zealand, lam sorry to say, is the only country that puts bruised beef on the Smithfield market. From what I have seen I consider that most of the braising is done in railway transit. Trucks are roughly shunted aid serious loss is often caused thereby. If every railway man, from shunters upwards, realised the importance of landing beef without bruises the market would be better. Another thing that would improve the market .value of beef would be the dehorning of cattle. Horn marks as well as bruises discourage the buyer.

“I am not in a position to say whether it is economically possible to produce ‘baby beef’ from the early maturing types for export, although I have seen some magnificent stuff of this kind, but whatever is exported should be in the best possible condition for marketing ahd, as. far as beef is concerned, there is room for great improvement.”