68 
The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [April 
The estimated numbers in foreign countries are :— 
Cattle. 
Sheep. 
Argentine 
.. 29,000,000 
55,000,000 
Uruguay . . ... 
.. 8,000,000 
11,000,000 
Patagonia 
4,000,000 
Brazil 
.. 30,000,000 
Venezuela, Paraguay, Colombia, China, and Madagascar can also export 
beef in moderate, though increasing, quantities. 
The surplus of meat available for export per annum will probably be 
as follows (in tons) :— 
Canada 
Beef. 
25,000 
Mutton. 
Australia 
120,000 
70,000 
New Zealand 
40.000 
160,000 
South Africa 
25,000 
• • 
Argentine and Uruguay 
600,000 
70,000 
Patagonia 
. . 
30,000 
Brazil 
250,000 
. . 
Venezuela 
8,000 
, . 
Paraguay 
5.000 
• t 
Madagascar * . . 
8,000 
• • - 
it ;; 
1,081,000 
330,000 
Total, 1,411,000 tons, or 3,250,000 head and 13,200,000 carcases. 
It will be seen, therefore, that, while the estimated supply from the 
producing countries is 1,411,000 tons, the estimated demand from the con¬ 
suming countries is 1,360,000 tons, showing an apparent surplus of supplies 
of 51,000 tons per annum. 
There is therefore little risk of a shortage of supplies—in fact, as far as 
mutton and lamb are concerned, the British Empire can become self- 
supporting. 
Australia and New Zealand already produce over two-thirds of the 
world’s export of mutton and lamb, practically sufficient to supply the 
needs of the United Kingdom. Before the war only 12 per cent, of the 
. mutton and lamb imported into the United Kingdom came from outside 
the Empire. But the case is different with beef, as the bulk of the export 
is, and must be for a considerable time to come, from South America, this 
country producing 871,000 tons out of the total export of 1,081,000 tons, 
or over 85 per cent. The consumption of chilled beef at the expense of 
frozen beef was progressing rapidly before the war, and this will continue 
to be the case. Beef from Brazil and Uruguay, and mutton from the 
Argentine and Patagonia, are best suited for the Continental markets, 
while the superior and more highly priced Australian and New Zealand 
mutton and lamb will tend to exclude the foreign mutton and lamb from 
the United Kingdom. In fact, frozen meat will be distributed in the future 
as in the past, according to its quality and price. New Zealand producers 
should not lose sight of the fact that the quantity of beef for export from 
this country is so small as to be almost negligible—only about 4 per cent, 
of the world’s beef-supply coming from the Dominion. 
On the assumption that sufficient shipping were available, the meat 
capacity of the supplying countries would be more than the requirements; 
but on this question hangs the whole position. The total meat requirements 
