N.Z. AND ARGENTINE EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 88, 9 April 1903, Page 4

N.Z. AND ARGENTINE EXPORTS.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. Per Pros Association. Wellington, April 8. The statistics of exports cf dairy produce and meat for the year ended 31st Mai ch, are just to hand from the Government statistician. They show that the experts of lamb for the month of March constituted a record for the clony, the v:lue of carcases sent out of the cjlcny amounting to £255,378, as ■gainst £142,932 for the com sponding month of 1902. The same comparison is shown in almost eve:y department cf dairy and meat exports. Butter last month was 27,230 cwt, valued at £128,580, as against 26,025 c «t, valued av £118,117; cheese, 12,040 cwt, v_lues at £30,722, as against 10,778 cwt, valued at £22,360; beef 15,657 cwt, valued at £2l- - as against 18,289 cwt, valued a* £20,996; mutton (carcases) 169,415 cwt, valued at £201,762, as against 101,188 cwt, valued at £105,740 ; mutton (legs and pieces) 10,416 cat, valued at £11,945, as against 8491 c*t, value £9119. 1 In the aggregate the dairy produce ] export for March shows an increase of &18,825 over March last year, and the meat export figures show an iiicrtasei-f' £211,698, or about 75 p?r cent. The total exports frcm our dairies and pastures in March 1902 werej '£418,984 ; last month they were £649,507. | The figures fcr the last nine years; ■•how a great devel. patent in exports. Since 1895 exports have increased as follows: —Butter from £263,244 to £1,269,676; cheese from £160,383 to

£175,903; beet from £33,554 to £323711-; mutton from £991,165 to £l,466,000; mutton (legs and pieces) from £56,992 (in 1900) to £808,781; lamb from £139,816 to £1,248,115. The butter and cheese exported in 1888 was worth £197,170; in the year jost ended it was worth £1,445,579. The me >t exported in 1888 was valued at £625,800; last year its value was £2,946,607. 'The totsl expprts for the ye:r ended '3lst Maich were:-Butter 263,137 cwt, value £1,269,676; cheese 74,393

cwt, value X 175,903; beef 251,640; cwt, value £323,711; muMon (carPHSutton (legs and pieces) 93,209 cwt, _ value -£188,781 ; latnb 667,474' cwf,j value X 1,048,115. j The Department of Industries andj Commerce has received the followirg cible from the Agent-General dat'd London, 6th inst.:—" The quant itif s of - Argentine meat landed in the XJoited Kingdom during March are as follows: —49,lo9carcasses ot mutton in London, 173,893 in Liverpool, 10,405 in Hull, 14,701 in Neffcas le, 8200 in Cardiff, 3708 in Southampton, and 1225 in Plymouth; 9201 carcasses of lamb in London, 18,368 in Liverpoo', 1000 each in Hull and Newcastle, and 149 in l Cardiff. The quantity of Argentine: butter landed was 15,469ewt, and the parts at which it was linded were London and Liverpool." One of the circumstances whi' h handicap New Zealand produce iu coaipating in the same market as h\t from the Argentina enjoys, is the scale of shipping freights. The matter has been inquired into by th» Now Z. aland Produce Commissioner in Londjo, and his report to the Agent-General has now reached the D?partment of Industries and Commerce. Mr C'anoron says:—"There does not appear 'o'oe any defiuite rate fixed, that is ' o say there is no agreed-upon coc.tract entered into be'.wean the River Phte Freezing companies and shipping companies as there is in New Zealand. The charge is the sama per'pound forj all classes of frozen meat, mutton, lamb, and beef. It viries slightly according to supply and demand of both freight and shipping. Should there happen- to ba a larga output of meat waiting shipment and a scarcity of freight, rates would be firm; and, on the other hand, when supplies are short and vessels plentiful, they would be lower from jd to §d per lb. accordiug

to type of boat and the distance up the .River in Argentine, where loading takes place. Consideration is also given when fixing the freight to a combination of ports in 'hiscountry at which discharge is to be effected. lam also informed that shippers, who, of course, [ are few in cumber and in a large way of ; business, often charter vessels for a, time, load thim ss suits their purpose, ] and send them where desired. While i thesa chargfa are quoted as being those prevailing in the River Plate m<at trade, it must not be forgotten that Fuch firms as Nelson and Sons, Limited, and the Rivor Phte Meat Company, Limited, own their own boats. The charge fori freight on butter is f|d per lb. on the net weight, delivtred in London, Southampton, and Liverpool."