MEAT EXPORT TRADE. 



20' 



* EsTixMATED Supply and Consumption of Meat annually per head of 

 the Population of the United Kingdom : 



The tendency for tlie consumption of meat to increase is clearly 

 visible in the above table. The check received in 189;3 was duo to the 

 falling off in the supplies of chilled meat from the United States and 

 the recovery is not yet complete. Doubtless, if the meat is available 

 and British trade is fairly brisk, the rate of consumption of 1S92 will 

 soon be again reached, if not passed. 



Canned Heat. 



Until lately we have had only one meat-preserving factory in New 

 South Wales putting out any quantity of meat — namely, the Sydney 

 Meat Preserving Company. In 1887 that company exported some 

 4,000 tons of preserved meat, increasing the output to over 7,000 tons 

 last year. This company has been a great relief to tlie graziers of 

 New South Wales, who, recognising its value, subsidise it liberally. 

 Several other canning factories have lately come into operation, 

 notably those at Bourke and Aberdeen, while the Graziers' Meat 

 Export Company propose to preserve meat on a large scale. The 

 increase of meat-preserving will materially assist graziers, and it is 

 estimated will add from 8d. to Is. to the value of a .shecj). Tlie 

 making of extract should always be combined with that of meat- 

 preserving, and between the two it may reasonably be hoped that, 

 useful as graziers have found it of late years, the wasteful system of 

 boiling down sheep for tallow only will be at an end. A new method 

 has been lately patented in New South Wales which it is considered 

 will materially lessen the cost of production of extract. Unfortunately 

 the value of this article is at present at a very low level, so that, 

 unless more economical methods of extraction can be found, it will 

 hardly pay to make it. 



The increase of meat-canning operations will tend to regulate the 

 frozen meat export, for canning adds from 10 per cent, to 15 percent, 

 to the net value of a sheep as compared with boiling only. Frozen 

 meat at times rules so low in the Home market as to cause owners to 

 send their sheep to the pots. It follows that, if, say, 12 per cent, more 

 can be obtained by canning, ownei-s will often boil and can in 

 preference to trying the Home market, and this applies more especially 

 to second-class sheep. The value of canning to graziers has been 

 much overlooked. Old ewes and second-rate rather lean wethers, 

 neither being sheep that pay to export in a frozen state, will yield 



* From Wed dell's Review for 1895. 



