TRUST DOMINATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1939, Page 3

TRUST DOMINATION

ARGENTINE BEEF INDUSTRY PRODUCERS GETTING POOR PRICES. : NEW ZEALAND VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. October 3. Control of the Argentine beef industry by big meats trusts and its effect on growers was mentioned by Mr H. D. Greenwood in an interview on his return after a trip to England and the Argentine. “What struck me was the stranglehold of the big meat trusts on the beef industry,” he said. Growers received a very poor return in comparison with the price obtained for their meat on the London market, he said.

4 There was some resentment but there seemed to be no combination among the growers. The Government had, however, forced the meat companies recently to pay a higher price for lambs.

Mr Greenwood visited several large holdings in the Argentine. The cattle, he said, were magnificent. Most of them were Shornhorn, and nearly all Red Shornhorn. of which there were thousands all over the country.

The quality of the bulls he had seen was astounding. “If it were not for the quality of the stock, they could not make it pay at the prices,” he said, “and in spite of the high level of stock, they find that they have to keep on importing from Britain.” He was surprised to find that scab and foot-and-mouth disease were still prevalent in the Argentine. However, though foot-and-mouth disease was prevalent, its effects did not seem nearly so bad as in England. The disease lasted only from 10 days to a fortnight and was seldom really serious.

The war had not long begun when Mr Greenwood left the Argentine. The only reaction he observed was a slight anxiety about the continuity of shipping services for the maintenance of the chilled beef trade. He added that an order had been received, presumably from the British Government, for. canned beef. There was some doubt whether the order could be filled, because the quality of the beef available was too high for canning to be practicable.