FROZEN MEAT TRADE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9703, 28 January 1910, Page 5

FROZEN MEAT TRADE

AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

By Te'egraph— Press Association. CHRISTCBURGH, January 27. The Frozen Meat Conference opened to-day. It is attended by representatives of all the colonial interests in the industry. The Hon. T. Mackenzie is present by invitation. Mr A. Chamberlain, President of the Canterbury A. and P.Association, welcomed the delegates. Mr D. D. Macfarlane, president ot the Colonial Conference of the Farmers' Union, was elected chairman. In his address he set forth the object of the conference— namely, to improve, if possible, the position of the frozen me.it trade. Owing to the recent drop in prices, the farmers of New Zealand had sustained a loss of one million . pounds, and it was necessary to ascertain the cause of the drop, and then devise and adopt measures to prevent a recurrence. After detailing the circumstances as to storage, and the sale of meat in London Mr Macfarlane said all should combine to ensure that their interests would receive proper consider l ation, and that produce should be submitted for sale under such conditions as would satisfy them that they were getting a reasonable and fair proportion of what was ultimately paid by the people who consumed it. The trade ha 3 grown from 1,707,3281b of mutton and lamb valued at 5d per lb, equal to £35.000 in 1882 to 269,773,6981b, valued at £5,624,342. At the rate at which meat was exported in the last two years a drop of lOd per lb meant a loss of something like £1,000,000 to producers and shippers. The market reports for the past twelve years showed that prices of lamb varied from 4£d to 6|d, and mutton from 3|d to 4|d, or an average of s|d for lamb an 4Jd for mutton. The Lonpon wholesale prices for mutton during last season were:—Mutton and lamb, February 3|d to 5Jd; March, 3 l-5d to 4£d; April, 3 11-16 d to 4 13-16 d; May, 3£dto4d; June, 3£d co 3|d; July, 2|dto3ld; August, 2 11-16dto3d; September, 3|dto3|d; October, 4|d to 4£d. Owing to the drop which took place the meat exported realisei less by nearly £1,500,000 than would have been the case if the previous averagepricees were maintained. A large proportion of the loss waß borne by the producers in New Zealand, and the balance by c.i.f. buyers. It was impossible to accurately estimate these proportions. It appeared safe to assume that farmers of New Zealand lost over £1,000,000. To prevent a recurrence of such a drop it was necessary to ascertain, if possible, the cause of the drop, and then to devise and adopt such measures as were desirable and practicable. It was impossible for a New Zealand farmer to give personal attention to tha sale of his meat, unlass he sold in the local stock markets, in which case tbf> ruling prices are governed by the-* detective conditions which obtain in the London markets, and the low prices fixed. ;As the result of those conditions it seemed eminently desirable that the farmer should gather «s much information as possible for the purpose of enabling him to ascertain whether, when his produce is offered for sale, and subsequently disposed of, he gets a "square and honest deal." Last year, in. ignorance of the English market, and of what their brother farmers were doing, New Zealand producers consigned their lamb and mutton for sale in London—s26,ooo carcases of lamb in May, and 677,000 carcases in June—a total of 1,203,000 carcases, as against 640,000 carcases for the same months in the previous year. No special arrangements were made for the storage of this enormous increase, and London buyers being aware of the position found it an excellent opportunity to engage every inch of available, and then dictate prices to the unfortunate shipper, who had nowhere to put his meat, and naturally no one to whom to sell it. Consequently shippers were absolutely helpless. The blame was hardly attributable i to the astute London buyer, but

rather 10 ignorance oi the New Zealand producer, and to the fact that he has no one to 'effectively protect his interests at the other end. If the producer was to continue to act in his individual capacity he was hardly to be pitied. If he found this operation were repeated , and that he is deprived of a fair share of the amount, wh.cb is ultimately paid by the consumer of meat, the remedy was for the conference to discuss as to whether the assistance of a paternal government should be invoked or whether the blessed principle of co-operation aad combination were to be applied. Other matters requiring consideration were such points as rates of insurance, shipping freights and storage methods of sale (both in the Dominion aad in London), advices to consumers as to prices and amount of meat in London, and in transit, and the method of discharging from ships io London and carriage to cold stores. Mr Geo. Sheat (North CanterburyExecutive of the Farmers', 1 Union) moved a [remit forwarded by the iscargill branch, proposing that a farmers' co-operate distributing association be formed to bring the producer and consumer into closer touch. Mr Sheat said that to prevent a recurrence of last season's glut it

was suggested that producers should combine, and that perhaps cool stores should be provided at this end, where the meat could be kept until it was time to place it on the London market. Mr H. Acton-Adams secondd the motion, and said that shippers really did not know who sold their meat at Home. There was an idea of storing meat in New Zealand, as suggested by Mr Sheat. At Home there was nothing known as to what meat was coming from New Zealand, and probably they did not want to know. The Argentine people, however, knew what stocks were going forward, and fixed their prices accordingly. He favoured the grading of meat in 'the same way that butter and cheese are graded. After discussion it was decided to refer the matter to a committe of enquiry set up by the conference. A remit from" the Nelson Farmers' Union "That a New Zealand Farmers' Trust be formed to check any foreign combination! inimical to the farmers' interests by controlling a" sufficient number o' retail outlets in the Home and Continental markets run by New Zealanders, and ensuring to the consumers demanding New Zealand produce a reliable and regular supply of the genuine article," was referred to the committee of enquiry.