THE LAMB TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9013, 24 December 1907, Page 3

THE LAMB TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

(From Pastoralists' Review.)

Although close on half a million frozen lambs have been exported from Australia during the last two months, it should not be thought that those connected with the trade are having a profitable season this year. In fact, as far as New South Wales, a»0o a certain extent, Victoria, is cuteerned, just the opposite is the case. The dry autumn and winter experienced over a large area of these two States so affected the condition of the lambs that a large proportion of the 500,000 shipped were second or even lower grade. Some go so far as to say that many of them never have been exported at all, they were so poor. Then the dry spell this year has made it necessary to move a tremendous quantity of stock to the markets or in seach of pastures, and this has accentuated the usual difficulties with regard to obtaining sufficient railway rolling stock to carry lambs to the freezing works. It has also caused the killing season to come on with a rush, with the result that the accommodation at the freezing works has been more than usually taxed. The last straw has been the new Federal tariff. This has so increased: the cost of material that several of the freezing works j have raised their c.iavges for treating stock. Some of these burdens fall on the exporters, but naturally they a3 much as possible have passed them on to the producers by lowering the prices paid for lambs purchased. However, we do not wish it to be understood that the lamb trade in the whole of Australia is suffering a sethack. The season in South Australia and the south and west of Victoria, has been reasonably good, and the lambs exported from there are in splendid condition. Even in the districts worst off the set back is only temporary, and given fair < rains a prosperous season may confidently be expected next year.