FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1921, Page 3

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN. HIGH RETAIL PRICES. COMING SEASON’S PROSPECTS. Matters relating to the disposal of the Dominion s primary products, particularly frozen meat, were discussed on Saturday by Mr. D. Long, secretary of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company, who recently returned from a visit to Britain and America. Mr. Long said the recent decline in the meat market had affected producers in all countries. He had visited most of the large packing houses in Canada and also in Chicago, and everywhere was told that the packers were losing money. He added jjhat we could not look for much improvement until the industrial position in England improved. There was little prospect of an extensive Continental demand for New Zealand meat. The stores in. t'he United ivingdom were full, and much of the meat was inferior and stale.

It was worth noting, said Mr. Long, that the large operators and the American packers failed to gauge the trend of the market. Many men in the trade in London who were well qualified to judge were of opinion that beef prices would improve, but that lamb and light mutton would be slightly cheaper next season. Heavy-weight mutton was not wanted. Even if beef did improve it was not likely to reach a price that would be profitable until freights returned to something like normal rates.

At present lamb undoubtedly was the best proposition. The Downs breed of lambs off their mothers, landed in London as early as possible, would command the highest. prices. The speaker expressed the opinion that retail meat prices in England were much too 'high. This applied especially to beef. Although the undertaking would be colossal, he thought the Dominion might be forced into the retail trade in Britain in self-defence.

Referring to shipping freights, Mr. Long said the present high rates threatened to kill our meat trade. Beef was already unprofitable and lamb and mutton would also reach the same stage if prices dropped to pre-war rates. When he was in. London Mr. Massey arranged a deputation to shipowners which resulted in a promise being made that the position would be reviewed in New Zealand before the first week in January, irrespective of contracts, Jf working costs fell in the meantime it was expected that the shipping companies would do something to meet the situation. When the last freight rates were framed beef suffered most. Under the previous contract it was about 25 per cent, less than lamb, but under the new contract it was only 124 per cent. lower. The difference meant 10s a head.

“ It was encouraging to see that the Farmers’ Union was taking up the matter of freights and suggesftng the establishment of a shipping line. He would suggest that the union make the objective a minimum of 50 vessels inplace of 20. The bulk of our produce I had to be marketed before European supplies • were' available. Provision, I therefore, must be made to lift. 35,000 i tons of butter and 75,000 tons of cheese from September to March, and from 6,000,000 to 7,000,000 carcases of meat from December to May. It had also to. be borne in mind that the average voyage occupied five months.