The Frozen Meat Industry

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42743, 4 July 1905, Page 2

The Frozen Meat Industry

In view of the fact that we have a freezing works of no mean order, al». most 8t our doors, so to speak, the following extracts from a paper read by Mr Gilbert Anderson, managiug director of the Christchurch Meat Co. Ltd., will doubtless prove of interest to our readers: — How to Grow Fat Lambs.— The profitable part of the freezing industry is undoubtedly the growing of'fat-lambs. It offers the farmer a quick return and gives him the best use of his land. The late Sir Thomas Brydone frequently.- expressed himself to me that, given ewes at a reasonable price, everything over 7s fid for a lamb watf a profit to the farmer. How very much more than that is paid, and will probably continue to be paid, you know well. To grow fat lambs for feezing it is necessary to start with a good constitution. It is not necessary that the ewe should be young—the most profitable ewe to a small farmer is a station ewe which has bred already one or two lambs. He requires a ewe which will give him a good percentage —not less than 100 per cent; if up to Ji2o.per cent so much the better. But to get good lambs it is necessary above all to use good rams. The next consideration is to see that the ewe is not starved during the winter m >nths. Then, when the lambs are dropped, there should be an abundance of feed ready for the ewe. If the ewe does not get a good start, so as to give an abundance of milk right off to the lamb, there would be a large pofcentage to go to the freezing works off their mothers, and the more fattening will be required afterwards. • When I remind you that it is the early lamb whieh pays and makes rooms for stores you will see the force of my remarks. In the north the feed that is waiting for the ewes is frequency barley— Cape barley or Sea of Azov; others put them on oats, and some leaves portion of the previous year’s rape which comes away in time. For fattening lambs it is no use trusting the grass unless ic is new pasture. Rape must be grown, but with rape it is necessary to have a have a change — either Italian rye, or a run out oil grass. Thousand headed kale is giving excellent results, and does not have the disadvantages of rape. Turnips must be grown, not only to finish off the last lambs, but also for the stores which should be bought. I am not here to give a lecture on farming, but only to point out that if a farmer wants to make money out of growing lambs and sheep, it can only be done by keeping the plough and the drill constantly going, and having a succession of fattening feed from the time the lamb is dropped until the lambs come again. The freezing industry has been a great success iu many parts of New Zealand —some more than others —But it is only where farmers have laid themselves out for growing feed that the full advantage have been derived. —The Beef Trade,—

I have in the main only dealt with sheep and lambs, but my remarks would apply with probably more force to cattle It is well known that you had a name f r frozen beef higher than any other freezing works or district, but I understand that this trale has been allowed ro drop - I can but repeat that if a farmer wishes to obtain the best result from his land he can only do so by preparing for the future returns by producing the necessary feed. . This can best be done by taking the returns over a series of years, and by laying . himself out to supply the best article in regular quantities and times. New Zea - land has got the lamb trade, and his a good market for mutton, and it can get a good market for its beef. The Argentine does not look on us as rivals, and does not come into competition with our class of meat. Argentine looks on Australia as her competitor. Any fights in the trade will be between these two countries.

—The Best Lambs and Sheep f >r Export*— What is required for the trade is prime well-grown lambs under 421 b m weight, They must be prime—that is well finished. Many farmers keep their lambs until the last feed is gone, with the result that the stocks when killed show sign of having gone back. These are tho * rimy backs ’ that you hear of from Smithfield market. Some make the mistake of keeping their lambs until they are too heayy. They might have turned off two medium weight lambs which won old have paid them better than one heavy lamb. Che home trade wants lambs under 42lbs, and the demand for these exceeds the quantify produced. There is only a limited trade for tegs —that is, iambs over 42ib.

At one time farmers made the mistake of breeding to early, with- the result that the losses in lambing were great. Now the trade bas developed and is on steady lines. Farmers can choose their own time for lambing, according to the season iq their par> t.icul district. As far as the freezing is concerned, farmer > can Arrange so that the lambs can start to come to the works at the beginning of the year, and they can continue sending lambs as late as August and September. With such a wide 1 qnge everything is now possible to the farmer. ]j?or sheep the demand is for wellbred prime cross- breds of light-weight —under 641bs. The season ifor these is from February to October. There is not eqw the demand for heavyweights which existed at the beginning of the. trade. The consumer of our meat at home is the large middle-class They have found by experience that OHjs? is the best meat they can get, and tint y have, cieited the demand. But qrha Pkhey ask for is the small useful which means little waste. They d Sot want fat, wasteful meat. You ugiS bear in mind that their meat costs them much more than our family supplies; and as they have not so much money to spend, they want to spend it to the very best advantage. The secret of all modern success in business is to find out the market and what you customers require, and give it to them.

1 We grumble at the old fashioned ways! of British trade, and think the Arnei-l can one better, and this because :the American gives us what we want and tbe British merchant what he has. <\l fear that we here in New Zealand are not like the Americans.' For instance we want to send tegs when our buyers want light, well-finished lambs, and will buy all we like to send. We will find it much better and more profitable to ourselves if we alter our way to his and give the buyer what he wants, bo so long as he will pay for it. . [ —Organised Method.— I have not referred to the ma*s| bogies of the meat trade, nor do I thjffl it 'even necessary to do s*• X|mH| freezing industry had not beeflHgj managed it would not have ajKußrou! the great proportions which it in! such a short time. The business hacß to be learned and experience had to bfl trained. I trust that I have shown! that we have profited by the lessons! and have succeeded iD getting the biishl ness on right lines. \, ! | Our freezing works in their conJ struction, machinery and methods, are! equal to any of a like nature. We fiqdj even in going to the United Staty jj that we have little to learn fromrtaSß in this direction. The one thing laoi ing in New Zealand which exists in America is the spirit of . loyal snppoit and association in working together to exploit new markets, and belief thal we should support our own institution! and our own men, Not until we , gel the various freezing companies working on a common understanding as to regu lation of shipments and methods o marketing our products will we get th best possible results for the growers o fat stock. Steps in this direction already been taken, and great as hn| been the benfitu of the freezing intfrag I believe that we shall see a still expansion in the trade at no tant date.