Report on the trade in refrigerated beef, mutton and lamb

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1800540760

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-185131

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report on the trade in refrigerated beef, mutton and lamb

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1925

Scope:: vi, 65 Seiten; Ill., graph. Darst.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter III. Present sources of supply

Collection:: Economics Books

20 get over-heated, abundant drinking water, and, in the case of long journeys, mid-way rests. Cattle from a distance are usually turned out to pasture near the frigorifico before being killed. The frigorificos are models of up-to-date efficiency, and it is true to say that no part of the beast is wasted. It is frequently asserted that the freezing companies sell the beef at or below cost and make their profits out of their by-products. The list of the by-products is imposing—hides, tallow, meat-extract, tongues, bails, kidneys, casings, glands, blood, &c.; hence, the freezing works are not only selling to the meat trade, but also to tallow merchants, manure merchants, and to merchants of medical requisites. This very specialised business is made possible by the large turnover and the regularity of the trade throughout the year. The cattle are graded broadly into three classes— chillers,” “freezers,” and ‘ continentals.” Formerly, buyers from the freezing works paid a head price for a * mob ” and sorted them out after purchase, but recently it has become more general to fix the price for the three classes separately. As ‘ chillers secure the higher price, it is probably better for the stock-raiser that the second method should be pursued, as it encourages improvement of herds. For the same reason, it would appear that the dead-meat method of payment is the soundest: it ensures for the producer a return measured not only by the weight of beef he has produced, but also by the care he has taken to grow good quality. After chilling, the beef is promptly shipped and, on arrival in this country, is promptly marketed. This is a necessity for chilled meat, as its limit of “ keeping ”’ is about five to six weeks, which largely explains the organisation of the trade. Directly a ship arrives, its cargo is sent to the various depdts to which it has been allocated, where it is sold even though prices drop seriously during the course of the day’s trade. If any of the steamers are held up, say, by a strike, and it is evident that discharge will be unduly delayed, the tempera- bure in the holds is lowered and the heef is sold as * frozen chilled.” In much the same way, when chilled beef is cheap, a Smithfield speculator may buy quantities to be sent from the ship to cold-store, there to be held until the price again rises sufficiently to cover storage and ensure a profit. Such beef is not, of course, sold as chilled, but as ‘“ frozen chilled,” and its price will depend on its condition and on the state of the frozen beef market. It is, on the whole, a dangerous speculation, as the heef may show “ signs of storage ” very quickly. The trifold classification into “ chillers,” * freezers” and “ continentals ” gives to the South American merchant the advantage of three markets. In this country, he disposes of his best, that is his chilled beef, and he also finds here the market for his good beef, which, not being quite of the standard demanded for the chilled trade, is yet of sufficiently good quality to suit the frozen beef trade in this countrv. a trade. as shown

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