THE PASTORAL POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3045, 21 January 1892, Page 3

THE PASTORAL POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES

The position of New South Wales with tespect to its great flocka and herds is, at the present time, somewhat unique. After a terrible drought, which annihilated millinns of stuck, the colony has heen blesatd with three good seasons, and the power of recuperation ami iucreauo is .so great, that at. the present uiomiiut the enonnoiH inimbfir of 00,000,000 of sheep are praising within her borders. Thi? iimnensoaud fust increasing stock has become not only a source of anxiety but- in one sense—of positive loss to pastoralists. Anxiety, for the colony ia admitted to be fully etocked, even in view of favourable seasons, and anything like a drought or even a dry season would simply devastate their flocks again. And loss, for over-production has forced prices down—in the absence of a sufficient export trade —to a most unprofitable point. The following market report will give our readers some idea of the present local values:—"The exceedingly low prices realised for all fat stock in the Homebnsh market are creating a panic amongst stockholders. A large surplus of fat and store stock has been almost unsaleable. Cows last week, at the local market, brought down to 12a; the pick of 2000 cowa, nearly fat, with the right of rejecting 25 per cent., brought 275; 10,000 splendid young sheep were offered at 3s. Old sheep wore sold at Warren recently at lid. For ewes and lambs, in wool, at the local market, the only offer was 3s. Grass and water are plentiful. The cause of the low prices is over-braeding." — Sydney Mail.

To meet the difficulty, the pastoralisls of New South Wales are combining to the export trade by a subsidy, on the following lines:—That, as there is a very large increase in stuck in the colony, and the prospect of a glutted market for some time to come, it is necessary that stops should be taken to provide for the establishment of an extensive export trade in meat; (2) That, with a view to that end, a short liill to amend the Stuck and Pastures' Act be introduced, under which a special late of not inure than one half-penny per sheep bo levied on all sheep owners with 500 or inoi'o sheep, and three-pence per head on cattle owners of 100 head and over, to provide funds for the payment of such subsidy no the exportation of meat , , as will induce those now engaged in tho trade to extend their operations, and lend others also to tiko the business up. These steps show that the New South Wales' pastoralists are fully alive to their position, but even the necessity for a subsidy may appear rather unaccountable to ih, in view of the wonderful success which ha-> attended the expert Frozen mutton trade in this colony. However, tbo following extract from a letter to the Sydney Mai!, written by Mr C. IVthrr-tonauKh, who is one of the iralnrs in the movement, will explain it-elf, and also be useful as showing our pessimists what .i magnificent colony we possess, and :il.-«i how careful our gra/.iers and shippers should he—in view of an ev?r increasing competition—to sand home only first-class sheep, to maintiin the pre-eminence which • or frozen mutton now hwlds in tha British markets. Mr Fetheivtonauch writ's :— "The great success of tho New Zealand frozen meat trade has led most people to fioncliide that we have only to follow suit in New South Wales. I regret to fay that such is not the case, and I can clearly show that frozen mutton cannot be exported from New South Wales except at a heavy loss. Unless .subsidised the frozen meat trade cannot be carried on, and moreover, the subsidy must be a substantial one. The export of frozen mutton from New South Wales up to the present has resulted in a heavy loss to shippers, a lots of over 2s b'd a sheep, and, unless we can arrange for a subsidy of about J-d per lb, the export of frozen mutton cannot be. carried out, unless, indeed, values rise in London. The charges seem to ruive bean reduced to a minimum on New Zealand and Queensland, these charges including sale in London, cannot be reduced below 2d per lb. Now the quotations in London for S>dney mutton on 3rd October last, were from 2Ad to 2|d per lb. As Id per lt>, is the very lowest carcases can be bought for in New South Wales, it follows thnt the industry must be subsidised. It will be useful now also to give the quotations of frozen and tinned meat in London on the 3rd October last, together with the. average prices realised for fat stock at Homebush fer week ending the 21st November. London prices, English mutton, 5-j-d to 7-Jd per lb ; Continenti.il, 5Jd to O-Jjd per lb; average New Zea'and, 3id to 4d ; inferior ditto, 2jd t> 3d. Sydney 2|-d to 2 ! M ; Riviu- Plate, 2:]: dto 2id ; boiled mutton, 21b tins, 4id to 4 : |d ; Clb tins, 3id to 3jd per lb. "The importations into London for one month (September hst), were, Australia 7,440, New Zealand, u.SOO, America 2i),oOO, others 000. Si) Australia only contributed Xo doubt, when we substitute (as many will do) crossbred sheep for merino, we will realise mors for our frozen mutton in London, but we can never compete with New Zealand. In the first place, crossbred s-heep are not suitable for a great portion of New South Wales ; and, in the second place, we cannot in our pastures, so often dried up, produce the succulent jaicy mutton grown in New Zealand. Prices realised at Homebush, week ending 21st November :—Shorn wethers (best). 6a 6d to to 7s 10 J, say one and two-fifths penny per lb ; best ewes, 6s to 7s, aay one and three-eighths penny per lb, and allow one shilling for wether and 9d for ewe skins. Anyone can see that meat export companies cannot operate unles3 subsidised, unless they buy at prices which would leave growers nothing at all. We must export, at least, two million carcases of mutton annually, or the pastoral industry, upon which the fortunen of the colony at present rest, must collapse. This can only bo done at a loss; therefore, it is absolutely necessary to subsidise the trade.