The British Meat Supply.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 226, 29 October 1887, Page 2

The British Meat Supply.

Tins subject, which ie an inter. •t-ting one to Australasian stock-breeders, was discussed in the ln^tsi.umber of the Quarterly Iteritw. The writer .points out that the fall in values of cattle und sheep in Great Britain dates iErom abovrt^cur years ago, a partial recovery in the valise of sheep taking place in the «utumti of (last year, consequent on the rise in the prioe-'Of wool. From an abstract of the article t&I ich was published in an English agricultural paper we extract) the following: — After quoii^ prices to show the fall in values, the wrier remarks that it is a fact requiring ci joianation that ths fall in cattle and beef has been contemporaneous v, ith a decline in the imports, and that the increase in the home stooK of cattle and beef is not sufficient to .account for the full in prices. This anomaly -does not obtain in respect of -sheep and mutton, which, taken together, ikave been imported in increasing quantities since 1883 ; bxt it does in a t'mall degree apply to pigs and pork, which in &pite of large receipts of'hacon and ham?, have been imported in diminished quantity for the last three yeans, .as compared with the average for the (previous seven years. A table iR then given>-sh owing the numbers ot live stock in thecountiy, and the imports of live stock and meat for each of the ten years ending in 12H6. Taking the iiret .and last year of this period the table, <for vwhich we have not space, shows thatialJB77 there were in the United Kingdom 9,731,537 cattle, 32,220,067 sheep, and 3,984,447 pigs. In 1886 the numbers were, cattle 10,872,811 ; sheep, 28,955,240 ; pigs, 3,497,165, being an increase during the tea years of 1,141,274 in cattle, and a decreases! 3,264,827 in bheep, and of 487,282 in piers. In 1877 the lmDorts of cattle were 291,193 ; and in 1886, 319,621 ; beef, 678,505 cwts. in 1877, and 1,001,931 cwts in 1886 Of sheep Iheie were imported in the first year of this period 874,055, and in the last 1,038,967. Mutton only began to be imported in any large quantities from Australasia i» 1882, in which year the importation into the United Kingdom is set down at 189,847 ev/t., which had increased in 1884, when the supplies were swollen by contribution?? from the River Plate, to 503,194 cwts., until Jast year the amount had increased to 642,289 cwt.— Ed. N.Z.F. Imports of tinned, potted, and un©numerated meats are not included in the because there are no means of differentiating this portion or the supply. Thife omission, however, does nob materially affect the comparison. Going on to compare the relative supplies of homo and foreign meat afc different periods, the writer shows that al< hough the proportion of the total supply of meat in the country increased from 20 7 per cent, in 1877 to 25 3 per cent, in 1885, and to 25*4 per cent, in 1886, tho home supply was sufficiently larger in 1886 than in 1876 to feed more than two millions extra people. The figures for the three psriodn are given as below :—: —

Tho Consumption of meat, which, according to Sir James Caird, was 103 lb. iper , head of the population Ift' lB7?/' aridftecoH ding to Major Q^igie, < U 2 ''lb, "^ , 48$, • appears to have fallen to a fraction over 109 lb. in 1886. This apparent full in consumption is attributed to general depression and tho fn.ll in wages. The small reduction in Uie home supply of meat in 1886, as compared with that of 1885, was caused chiefly by the decrease in the number of sheepin tho country. ; „ With rospoct to tho cost of producing 'imcab in the United Kingdom, tho writer bays it cannot be estimated with any approach to precision, as it varies With the prices of loan stock, and feeding stuffs, lents, wages* and tho produce of feeding crops grown qn the tarcn. 'Ihe lack of accurate accounts, again, ie a great obstacle to gutting at averages of cost ot production for a seiies of years. But it has been roughly computed that British farmers can produce beef and mutton without loss at 6d a pound, und the minimum annual prico in tho Metropolitan Cattle Maiket (linking the offal) has only twice been below that for beef in the last ten years, and never for mutton. By far the best way of estimating the cost of producing meat, the wiiter goes on to remain, would be by those who breed or wean calve*, for instance, keeping an account of all expenses from calt-hood to the time when the animals arc sold to the butcher. The advantages of early maturity are dwelt on at some length, figures being quoted from the recoi ds of the Smithtield and Chicago shows. In this direction, it is urged, there are hoped of reducing tho cost of production. Proceeding to consider tho question of foreign competition and its probable effect upon tho piices of the tuture, the writer takes a very le-a.s&uiing line of argument as far as tho interests of home producers are concerned. Although bixponeo a pound for buef or mutton is a price that would have been deemed satisfactory by the fanners oi the Lust generation, ho remarks, it is bv no means certain that a higher a\erago will not be eomnson in the fot.uio ; for although the average price of beef has not gone down to that amount in any recent year of which we have complete satistice, the supply of foieign beef ha.s fallen off because the trade has not been remunerative to American a«£ other shippers. As to mutton from Australia, it is pointed out that shippers for Lho last twelve months have been getting only about a penny a pound for the pick of *heir flocks, reared at extra expense for our markets. Evidence from New Zealand is then quoted to chow that some shippers aic gi\ ing up tho trade in fio/.on mutton in di-gu^t, "and the taihi'o of free/ing companies £a Australia is leforred to. As to tho Kivei Plate mutton, it=s evport i^ shown to K'uo been unpiofitable at recent price*, the E.v-er Plate Fie-h Meat Company having- declared a lo«s of £37,000 on tin months' trading at its K'lbt meeting Although there are vast number* of cattle in the Sliver Plate, the beef, it >s pointed out, iT-ot good enough for our markets, and many yea's will be required to level up the herds to the lequisitf* quality. From A«o*tiala^ia the beef supply has never tisen hf-vond insignificance. A laree propo tion of sHe foreign beef received by us ha-> coaie horn the United Status, and Ameiican e'.idence w cited to show that the days ot very chcao production in that country nre pa^siKg away as the great free ranges are every year encroached upon by settlers?. In conclusion, the writer says : " A more econcctiical system of distribution is needed for nething more than for tho product of the l;t«d, the main necessaries of life und ior the animal food supply n^ost of all. TCiie )aiv& <5f this country will not bear all the burdens laid upon it in more prosperous timer Too many classes are endeavouring to lice out of it, each taking toll from at& produce, unnecessary distributors, or even mere speculative interlopers, often jrettbig n\wt ot all. The tneat producer, who keeps and attends to a hullock for two or tknea years, or to a pheep for twelve or eighteen months commonly obtains less prciit than the dealer who speculates in it, or tie Huteher who cuts it up and sends it rounid to his customers in a day or two. This ih not as it should be, and all but interested persons must wish success to the eHorHeow being made to bring producers and ooabumcrs moro closely together."

Homo Supply. cwt. Foreign Supply. cwt. PopuTotal. lation. owt. 877 LBBS ,886 24,500.000 27,220,000 26,682,000 6,300,000 9,240,000 9,100,0<}Q 30,800,000 33,446,930 36,460,000 36,331,119 ®MM 56,707,418