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Malthusian concerns with feeding growing populations and personal interests of politicians always dominated colonial development policies.

Britain was affected by the ‘great meat famine’ in the 1860s and 70s. Invention of ice machines and subsequent development of cold storages facilitated the export of meat from New Zealand to Britain.

On February 15, 1882, SS Dunedin left New Zealand for Britain with the first cargo of frozen meat. Exactly two years later, a telegram was sent to Sir James Fergusson, Governor of Bombay Presidency, by Sir Julius Vogel, Colonial Treasurer, New Zealand. “Is there any prospect of New Zealand frozen mutton and fine woollen fabrics finding a market in India? Your reply to New Zealand will greatly oblige”, it read.

Vogel was earlier the eighth premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works.

Vogel and Fergusson formed a mutual admiration society in the early 1870s. Fergusson was appointed Governor of South Australia in 1868. In 1873, he was promoted to the governorship of New Zealand. He built strong friendships in New Zealand which helped him bring business to Bombay and Poona after he was appointed the governor of the Bombay Presidency.

On the day Fergusson arrived in Wellington as the new governor, the settlers of New Zealand were informed that what was called the Harrison meat-freezing process had been proved in New South Wales to be a complete success, and, by that means, the markets of the world had been opened for the surplus meat of New Zealand, a fact which was destined to contribute not a little to the steady, permanent agricultural and commercial prosperity of the Colony.

A few years later, Vogel returned to New Zealand from London after being unsuccessful in the politics there. He was financially desperate and crippled by illness. He re-entered politics to rescue his investments. He also intended to utilise the friendships he had made with agents, brokers, and businessmen while in London to gain back popularity and money.

Two months after sending the telegram, Vogel received a reply from Fergusson – “Mutton experiment feasible; but more hopeful at Calcutta. If desired, would suggest a local agent to arrange. European daily consumption mutton, Bombay, two hundred sheep. Natives, except Parsees, eat only fresh-killed”.

But Vogel had another idea. He knew that the consumption of meat in Bombay was not large. But he also firmly believed that if meat were more freely available, the consumption might largely increase. Calcutta in those days consumed five times more meat than Bombay. Since he knew that he already had a market there, his attention was drawn toward the Bombay Presidency, and especially Poona.

Vogel wrote to Fergusson asking if they could first send the meat to Bombay and Poona.

Fergusson, sitting in Bombay, felt that the success of the importation of frozen meat and woollen fabrics to Bombay could only be decided by experiment. The sale of the former would be chiefly confined to Europeans, and those of the “richer class”, as the natives would not touch any meat slaughtered or handled by the Europeans. The natives as a rule insisted on having meat killed on caste principles and preferred it freshly killed.

Fergusson thought that the meat supplied in the local market was poor compared to Australian and New Zealand meat, but very good meat could be obtained by the larger consumers, and generally, that supplied to Government House was little, if at all, inferior. A great many Europeans would pay a somewhat higher price for a really good cut of meat, say 6d to 7d, instead of 3d or 4d. He also hoped that the Parsee community would take a liking to imported meats.

There were no towns in the Bombay Presidency with so large a European population as would make it worthwhile to send the foreign meat to India, except Poona. The distance between Bombay and Poona was 118 miles, but the native meat was somewhat cheaper in Poona than in Bombay.

In November 1884, the Commissary-General, Bombay, informed the Government that the consumption of beef in Poona was almost four times that in Bombay. In 1883, citizens of Poona had consumed 426,855 lb of beef and 185,730 lb of mutton.

Beef cost an anna and 8 paise per pound in Poona in 1883, while in Bombay the cost was almost double. Mutton, too, was cheaper in Poona than in Bombay.

In a response to a question raised in the Parliament, he informed the members that he had formed a select committee to enquire into the “export of sheep and rabbit” to Poona.

One of the committee members, one Mr Lance, then convened a meeting in Christchurch shortly after of those interested in the frozen–meat industry with a view of whether the matter was of sufficient importance to warrant the dispatch of an experienced agent to India to see if arrangements could be made for sending regular shipments of frozen meat to Bombay, Poona, and Calcutta. Vogel readily agreed on behalf of the Government that if it was decided by those interested in the industry that it was desirable to send such an agent to India, the Government would favourably consider bearing a portion of the expense.

Vogel sent a delegation to Bombay which later travelled to inspect the meat markets in Poona. The money for this tour came out of the sheep fund constituted by him during his tenure.

Fergusson’s office persuaded the Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company to carry the frozen meat at third–class goods rate by passenger train from Bombay to Kirkee and to Poona. Considering the cost of freight, the meat imported from New Zealand was dearer than the local meat.

But both Vogel and Fergusson were by now very confident that Europeans in Poona would happily buy the imported meat because it was better than the local variety.

A major problem had to be solved first. There was no cold storage either at Bombay or Poona for the storage of raw meat, even if consignments were received monthly. Fergusson thought that ice could be procured to any extent from the Ice Manufacturing Company in Poona and arrangement could be made for storing meat as in London.

The first shipment of meat and woollen clothes arrived from New Zealand in December 1886 just before the Bombay International Exhibition. A refreshment room was opened at the venue at which colonial meat, soups, and salads were served. Meat imported from New Zealand could be procured on demand.

Advertisements appeared in local newspapers the very next week. For the next few years, Europeans and Parsees in Bombay and Poona did buy the meat imported from New Zealand. But the demand reduced suddenly. However, the imports continued till at least four decades.

The longstanding intersections between food and international policies and actions have altered the way we eat. The arrival of frozen meat from New Zealand at Poona in 1886 serves as a prime example.

Chinmay Damle is a research scientist and food enthusiast. He writes here on Pune’s food culture. He can be contacted at chinmay.damle@gmail.com

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