ARGENTINE MEAT CONSUMPTION AND EXPORT 213 



The Director of Eiiral Economy and Statistics of Argentina 

 recently presented the following report to the Government and a 

 statistical return concerning cattle and the consumption and ex- 

 portation of meat for the year 1917, with comparative figures 

 for the quinquennial period 1913-1917 : — 



Total killings during 1917 were as under : — 



At Liniers slaughterhouses 



At iiveat freezing works, ' ' saladeros ' ' 

 and meat factories 



At the 2356 municipal and private 

 slaughterhouses which have sup- 

 plied data 



4,028,139 3,786,187 386,324 



In order to arrive at the total killings for the whole country, 

 it would be necessary to ascertain the number of animals slaugh- 

 tered on "estancias" and farms for their own meat supplies, and 

 in some small slaughterhouses of which we possess no data. We 

 endeavour, however, to arrive at this total figure by another 

 means, viz., by taking the number of hides exported and utilised 

 in the country. During 1917, in round figures, the quantity was 

 5,873,000. Compared with the ascertained killings, this figure 

 shows a ditference of 1,845,000, so that our statistics regarding 

 killings comprise over 68.5 per cent, of the total. 



Coivs and Steers. 

 The proportions of steers and cows slaughtered at "frigori- 

 ficos" and slaughterhouses, registered during the past seven 

 years, were as under : — 



Years. Steers. Cows. % 



1913 . . 2,402,668 506,741 17.4 



1914 2,289,804 786,102 25.5 



1915 . . . . . . . 2,210,919 874,926 28.3 



1916 2,503,090 919,248 26.9 



1917 2,803,675 1,038 918 27.0 



These proportions undergo considerable variation, when we 

 treat of the destination of the animals: — 



Total Cows c'f 



and Steers. of Cows. 



Liniers 281,950 43.4 



Municipal and private slaughterhouses . . 1,070,776 54.4 



"Frigorificos" .. .. •• .. 2,227,613 11.6 



"Saladeros" and preserved meat factories 262,254 10.9 



