than in Great Britain. The beef hitherto furnished by Canada has not been such, 

 generally speaking, as to find favour on the Smithfield market nor for war office contract. 

 The British public demands fat meat or at least meat that is prime fed and well finished. 

 The supply furnished by the Argentine, Australia, New Zealand and even by the 

 United States, is able to meet these requirements. Our cattle, as compared with the 

 product of the above mentioned countries, are not prime and lack finish. Canadian 

 grass-fed bullocks cannot stand against this competition, and even our stall-fed stock, at 

 least such of it as is available for export across the Atlantic, takes second place. We 

 shall be obliged to greatly improve our method and manner of feeding before we can 

 expect to secure a firm foothold on the British market. 



On the other hand, France and Italy will take and, in some respects, prefer Canadian 

 beef. This is true whether the meat is intended for consumption by the civil population 

 or for army supply. A comparatively lean quality of beef is demanded by the French 

 and Italian people and for this trade our Canadian cattle are likely to find favour. 



Live Animals 



Live Stock in France — The situation in France needs to be explained. Owing-, 

 to the elimination of the herds in Belgium and Northern France and the reduction of the- 

 stock elsewhere in the country, the French market for Canadian cattle may be expected 

 to continue for a considerable period after the war. At the beginning of the conflict,, 

 during the period before the supply of frozen beef became available, it is stated that 

 about one-fifth of the national herd was utilized to make good the requirements of the 

 army. It may be noted, further, that, during the past eighteen months, the number of 

 hogs in the country has been very greatly reduced. It was stated to me, on very 

 reliable authority, that the reduction had amounted approximately to two-thirds of 

 the normal stock. 



Live Feeding Cattle — The demand for frozen beef, present and prospective, has- 

 already been referred to. In France a market exists, also, for live feeding cattle. As 

 regards living animals, Canada is practically the only available source from which 

 France, from the standpoint of bovine health, will consent to draw a supply. These 

 would be placed on the rich pastures of Normandy and Britanny and other depart- 

 ments and, when finished, would be slaughtered for domestic consumption. It is the 

 intention of the Government, as well as the desire of the people, to preserve, as far as 

 possible, the breeding cattle of the country. The French are anxious to maintain and 

 develop their own stock rather than mix it with the blood of foreign breeds. For this 

 reason, cattle for feeding purposes only will be required. It is altogether unlikely, for 

 the same reason, that a market for Canadian breeding cattle will be realized. 



Prospective Market for Canada — It will now be apparent that, while certain 

 complications exist as regards the sale of our beef on the European market, and while 

 the prices that prevail do not suggest profits equivalent to those offered in other 

 directions, there can be absolutely no reason to prevent us from finding a comprehensive 

 export outlet in that direction for our product. In fact, many indications suggest that, 

 as the war advances, and possibly for a very considerable period following the final 

 declaration of peace, the price or market tendency will be upward rather than down- 

 ward. From this it may be inferred that the development of an export beef trade with 

 Europe rests upon a firm economic foundation. 



It is quite true that a careful policy will have to be pursued in the means taken to- 

 effect this development. It is absolutely essential also that every contributing market 

 movement should be watched with the greatest care, in order that, while all possible 

 advantages from this trade may be fully assured, losses to our producers may be pro- 

 vided against as resulting from the competition of other countries or the glutting of the 

 market which, at any time, over-supply would create. For the present, Canada ought 

 to be able to sell to advantage all her surplus product. If, later on, our farmers andi 



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