VALUABLE TRADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 August 1938, Page 6

VALUABLE TRADE

POSSIBILITIES OF CHILLED BEEF. QUALITY PRAISED AT HOME. “One of the greatest difficulties in New Zealand today is the ensuring of a regular delivery at the other end,” observed Sir William Petry when discussing,'the chilled beef trade at yes-: terday's meeting of the Masterton A. and P. Association. The Meat Producers’ Board, of which he is acting-chairman, had been trying to arrange shipments so as to guarantee a regular supply at Home but it was a very difficult matter. Regular delivery was most important because if the chilled beef was not on hand the buyers would probably gc elsewhere and might not come back. New Zealand chilled beef was now thoroughly established and accepted at Home. Although there were still s few obsolete ships offering the service was improving and since gas had been used in the ships’ chambers there had been very few reports of mould on the beef. He felt positive that the chilled beef , trade, as it was extending, was going to help the sheep graziers on hill country. At , present there were not sufficient cattle grazing on the hill country to make it suitable for sheep The high praise at Home for New Zealand chilled beef was most encouraging. While there was a need for f better class of cattle here, our conditions, mode of fattening and growing seemed to fit the.beef for the chilled trade. The New Zealand chilled beef carried more, flavour than the frozen although it might not be as tender.

Generally speaking. New Zealand chilled beef had an advantage in price of from Jd to Jd a lb as compared with Australian. Australia was importing a lot of good animals, but our climate helped us a lot. The latest chilled beef prices from Home showed New Zealand to be s"d to 54d a lb, Australian 5d to 5Jd and Argentine 62d to 6jd. a lb.