Less Beef Consumed

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 437, 20 August 1928, Page 8

Less Beef Consumed

High-Priced Meat Affects Housewife

DURING the past week many Auckland housewives have ' been compelled virtually to raise the sign “Eat Less TSeef.” This is not the outcome of any weakened desire for the palatable Sunday joint, but is provoked by pressure of economic necessity, following the rise of 2d a pound over most cuts. The local market, which is directly affected by the overseas demand, is expected to return to comparative stability as the summer approaches and brings with it the result of spring growth.

Several rises in retail beef prices during the past year have been produced by a variety of economic factors, the chief of which are easily traceable. It is not a very far cry from the farm to the dinner table in New Zealand, but when it is considered that the price on the London market, 12,000 miles away, is one of the determining contributions to the fixing of costs here, the process becomes one of careful regulation at long range. Graziers within the Dominion have been so discouraged in recent years by the inert market for beef that the majority of them have turned their

attention to the raising of sheep, and have given up their place In the beef field—at the most little more than a sideline —to the Argentine and other overseas competitors. Not only did the aggregate number of cattle in this country diminish as a result of this, but the scarcity was made worse by the rapid growth of the boneless veal industry', which -has been established in a substantial way in many freezing districts. The price offered for one-day-old calves was an attractive one, while a small figure was paid for the skin, and, all things considered, the farmer was justifiably induced to get rid of most of his calves in this manner.

Although at no time has the supply of beef from this side of the world been a potent factor in the Home market, the reduced purchasing power of the British people, following the industrial depression there, kept the export demand here to such a degree of stagnation that overseas buyers operated with erratic frequency- and local price fluctuated—mostly to the disadvantage of the butcher, and incidentally of the consumer.

Experience has shown that with every rise in the retail price of meat, the working people—who, after all, are the chief consumers of the product—do not increase their expenditure upon the commodity, but balance their account by reducing consumption, and instead of the remains of the Sunday joint being scrapped after the second day, a third meagre repast is reproduced in camouflage by the clever house manager. A similar state of affairs necessarily exists in city boardinghouses, where the margin of commercial profit is often so finely defined that the latest tricks in cuisine manipulation are necessary if the life of the institution is to be preserved. This natural reduction in meat consumption was prominently noticeable a few months ago when the Auckland butchers w'ere forced to put up the price upon most of the popular cuts, and it is anticipated that, -with economic conditions, anything but bright at the moment, a further falling-off in beef eating will be immediately manifest. It might sometimes puzzle the consumer to observe that the price of beef here is higher than the equivalent world parity, but in explanation of this the local buyers explain that in order to keep the meat within the country for the consumption by our own people, they are compelled to pay higher than the ruling world rate. The export buyers who operate for the Home market come into the bidding only when the demand is sufficiently attractive to warrant their speculation. PRICES UP BY HALF A comparison of figures with those of this time last year shows that there has been approximately a 50 per cent, rise in retail beef prices. The average figure over all cuts of an ordinary sized beast was 3.94 d 12 months ago, and to-day the average on all cuts from a similar weight animal ranges about 6d —or well over a 50 per cent. rise. The prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease in the Argentine and better times at Home, have been responsible for a shortage of beef at London, and these influences, combined with the exceptional shortage in New Zealand —assisted, in however small a degree by the drought—hav§ caused active operation here of export buyers. Prices at Westfield last week rose iu sympathy with world tendencies, and the high figure paid by the butchers has been passed ou to the consumer.

There are many sound reasons why the retail price should ease before the end of the year, however. The result of the spring growth will bring forward a lot of beasts which ar; now unready for the fat stock sale, and when the market is thus replenished, the local price must fall in sympathy. An easement in the Home demand, too, would assist the outlook here.

“If the price comes down, we are only too pleased to pass on the benefit of it,” said one of the local butchers to-day. “because we would rather see a larger turnover than a record of curtailed consumption.”