SHORTAGE OF BEEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 779, 27 September 1929, Page 11

SHORTAGE OF BEEF

ENGLAND’S SUPPLY FROM ARGENTINE OPPORTUNITY FOR N.Z. “From reports of world’s supply of beef cattle It seems probable that beef prices will continue at a fairly high level for some years,’’, said Mr. J. K. Makgill, chairman of directors of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, Limited, at the annual meeting held this afternoon. He said that the question had been given wide publicity ill articles publisped in “The Times” (London), by his kinsman. Sir William Haldane. In a leading article in regard to beef “The Times” said;—“In one of the main articles of the national diet we have allowed our dependence on a foreign country to become far too great for the safety of our own people.” In the first article, under the heading, '“A Coming Change—The Fall of Beef Imports,” the writer points out that Great Britain “has been obtaining about 40 per cent, of our beef consumption from the Argentine. Last year (1928) the number of cattle slaughtered at the Argentine Frigorificos was 404,000 fewer than in 1927, a reduction of 12J per cent., and the exports of chilled and frozen beef are reported to have been over two million quarters fewer than in 1927, a reduction of 24 per cent.” He points out that this is mainly a reduction to European countries, the shrinkage to Great Britain being “about 18 per cent., according to our trade returns. He shows there is evidence of the shrinkage in Argentine slaughtering continuing fairly rapidly during this year (1929).

SHORTAGE NOT TEMPORARY

He quotes export reports from Argentine sources, in one of which it is stated: ‘Far from it being the case that the shortage in Argentine exportation of beef is temporary, or arises rrom fortuitous circumstances, it is the general opinion in stock breeding circles in this country that we have reached and passed the maximum of our beef exporting capacity.’ “After giving actual figures relative to numbers and weights and sex of the 1928 killings of cattle for export in Argentine, the summing up is that the cattle shrinkage in Argentine ‘is permanent and proceeding definitely and rapidly,’ partly through ‘the slaughtering of breeding stocks in the reduction of herds.’ CHANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND

“The second articles reviews the possible supplies from various other countries, including Australia and New Zealand. The writer points out that the cattle population of the United States has reduced since 1920 to 1925. by thirteen million and that instead of her being a large exporter of beef, as used to be the case, she is taking the whole surplus cattle and beef Canada can give her, and has been importing from other countries, also, including New Zealand. “The third article expresses the hope that Australia may yet, despite past discouragement, set to work seriously to meet our overseas beef requirements by grading up her cattle and increasing her herds. “This last quotation is one that maywell be wise for us here to give , some heed to,” said Mr. Makgill. “Is It not possible that, if tve devised the best method and used the best stock, we may be able, even in this country, to do something more than wo have been doing toward maintaining the required beef or veal supplies to Great Britain with advantage to ourselves and also to the Empire by seizing this opportunity to promote Empire production of the beef requirements of the Empire, instead of allowing foreign countries to maintain their grasp upon so important a requirement of our people?”