Freezing Season Reviewed

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 898, 15 February 1930, Page 29

Freezing Season Reviewed

SLIGHT DECLINE IN EXPORTS JX all parts of the Dominion at the moment the freezing season is in full swing, and most works are working little short of capacity. At such a time, therefore, it is interesting to note how returns compare with those for the corresponding period of last year. From the point of view of aggregate value of exports, prices are certainly down. Figures supplied by the Meat Board indicate that the volume of stock exported shows a decrease.

■Unseasonably wet weather at the beginning of the summer held up the real start of the killing season, and, consequently, it was not until the Christmas holidays were almost on hand that the lambs started to come forward in big numbers. Many farmers tended, also, to hold up consignments to the works in the hope that prices would improve. Whatever may be the real reason, the Mfeat Board's returns show that up to January 30, 1930, the number of lambs killed, shown at 1,045,550, was a little over 100,000 short of last season’s tally to the corresponding date. Beet exported during the period at 16,546 quarters, compared with 28,156 quarters over the corresponding period of last season. Figures for mutton exported were also down at 294,201. compared with 304,719 carcases up to January 30 of last year. Pork showed the biggest ratio of decrease with 39,879 carcases, compared with 51.794 carcases last year. London continues to be the principal port of distribution for New Zealand meat, although there is a decided tendency for other ports of the British Isles to take a greater percentage each year. New York has taken practically nothing this year, whereas last season, up to January, that port had accounted for the biggest part of New Zealand's beef exports, several thousand more efuarters, in fact, than the entire exports of beef from the Dominion to date this seasons Vancouver had also taken 3,000 quarters of beef by January last

year, whereas only 600 quarters have been sent to that port to date this season. Montreal, which has taken 1,045 carcases of mutton, is the only North American port which has taken a worthwhile parcel this season. Practically all our exports of frozen meat have been, as usual, absorbed by Great Eritain. At the moment the fact that export returns are down on those for the corresponding period of last year cannot be regarded as serious. It is not too late yet for the margin of decline to he made up, and for the season to finish with an all-round increase. Although some of the cooperative works are already beginning to reduce staffs in anticipation of a slackening off of killings, most of the bigger works and all the proprietory concerns are working little short of capacity. The lambs are certainly beginning to peter out, but it seems that move attention is to be paid to mutton this year. Beef is also meeting with a better market, and there is every indication that the close of the season will see a considerable increase in the number of cattle handled. One thing is certain-ti-New Zealand shows no tendency to go out of the frozen meat industry; every trend is the other way, with improved methods of farming making for increased production and better quality. Production of wool in the United States has shown a material increase during the last seven years. While the 302 million pounds of wool shorn in 1923 was only 1 per cent., or three million pounds, above 1928, it was about 20 million pounds above 1927, and approximately 80 million pounds, or 36 per cent, above 1922, the last low point in United States production.