8 THE WORLD'S MEAT FUTURE 



As regards Great Britain's meat supply, the war has in no 

 way diminished her floeks and herds; in fact, if anything, they 

 are larger than hefore the war; the total cattle at the end of 

 1916 heing 12,451,450, and the sheep 28,849,655. Imagine in 

 little Britain 2,000,000 more cattle than in all Australia. This is 

 the more wonderful when we realise that over 2,500,000 acres of 

 grazing lands have been i)ut under crop. The Bi'itish people 

 have also learned the much needed lesson of economy, and after 

 the war there -will not be the enormous waste there has been in 

 the past. Cold meat will not again be thrown away wholesale to 

 the pigs and the dogs, it will be utilised as it should be. Again 

 many foods have taken the place of meat, and the people have 

 discovered that they are much healthier on a smaller meat diet. 

 Taking the population of Greater London, which represents 

 roughly the area supplied from Smithfield, at 7,500,000, it can 

 be seen that the Capital is now apparently consuming much less 

 meat than before the war, the quantity marketed during 1917 

 being only 1.62 lbs. per head per week, i.e., including bacon, 

 poultry, game, etc., as against 2.48 lbs. per head in 1913. The 

 Empire's armies will get back to Australia, New Zealand, 

 Canada, and India, where there is more than ample meat for 

 all their wants, and it will be found that instead of 37 per cent, 

 of meat having to be imported, which before the war was Bri- 

 tain's requirements from abroad, probably 20 per cent, or 25 

 per cent, only will be needed. Sixty-three per cent, of the total 

 meat supply of Great Britain before the war was home grown. 

 Of the imported meat supply (37 per cent.), Argentina supplied 

 80 per cent, of the beef, and Australia 12 per cent., the balance 

 coming from various sources. New Zealand supplied 40 per 

 cent., Australia 25 per cent., and Argentina 29 per cent, of the 

 imported mutton and lamb. 



The flocks and herds in France have not decreased since 1916, 

 in fact they have increased, but from the commencement of the 

 war until that year, the sheep tlocks fell away by 30 per cent. 

 With the introduction of studs from Britain, however, they 

 will rapidly gain in number and in weight. In July, 1917, 

 their Censiis Returns accounted for 12,443,304 cattle, 10,586,594 

 sheep, and 4,200,280 pigs. Supplies of home-grown meat 

 for the civil population were accordingly fairly plentiful. 

 It must ever he remembered that there are many countries 

 in Europe with enormous populations which make grain of 

 various sorts their main food supply ; therefore, in investigating 



