Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1911. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10177, 1 March 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1911. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

The Wairarapa, with other rural districts of the .Dominion, is keenly interested in.,the frozen meat trade. Tito expansion' of this, trade, hotwithsitandling the growing competition from other countries ,is a matter of .sincere congratulation. The annual review which lias been compiled by Messrs Weddel and Co. and the Colonial. Consignment and Distributing Co. contains information whch muslt be regarded as exceedingly gratifying. It shows that, in spite of the development of the trade in chilled meat, the prices for frozen meat haye been well maintained. The deliveries of frozen and chilled: meats inito the United! Kingdom last year totalled 610,970 tons, an in" crease of 78,714 tons, or 15 per cent over the total for 1909 which had pi its turn exceeded its predecessor by 46,280 tons, or ten per cenlt l . The most 'Striking increase in. arrivals was from Australia, which sent" 52,539. tons more than in 1909, while New Zealand .contributed 10,231 tons 'more. There was a decrease of 9061 tons in frozen mentis from South America, Ibult an increase of 44,206tons in chilled beef. The Australasian colonis thus increased their output of meat imore largely thani South America. Venezuela was the only new source of supply, having forwarded several shipments of frozen beef, and on© parcel of chilled beef, the aggregate weight being 865 tons There was a revival in the pork trade from Australia and Now Zealand), the imports amounting to 547 tons, 'and there is no reason why this trade should not go on increasing* -especially from this country. New Zealand frozen meat still liblds the highest position in the table of prices for the year, mutton being Id above Australian, and -Jd above Argentine, and lamb fd and Id, respectively. In forequartens of beef top prices were even, and in bindquarters New Zealand had the adlvantage by sd. The strength of the position in 1910 is thus explained by Messrs Weddel and Co.: —"The .strength of (the position had its origin in the period of low prices which prevailed in the summer of 1909, when retail consumption underwent very considerable expansion in all

part sof the country. The favourable oonditiops thus created in respect' of tihe demand were supplemented 1 , by the pronounced shortage in supplies coming from North America. The general trade of the United Kingdom being unusually healthy at the commencement of 1910, the consuming power of the masses was soon found Ito be much greater than in previous years; and so it came about that our markets' were alhle to absorb with unexpected facility th® vast additional quantities of mealb pouring into the country from Australia, 'New Zealand, and South America. As the year, progressed the retail demand, with, only occasional interrupltSoiiis through strikes, steadily grew, and at the close it was stronger than ever before."