EXPORT OF LAMBS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 198, 22 August 1932, Page 4

EXPORT OF LAMBS.

POURING INTO BRITAIN. AMAZING FIGURES. NEARLY 17 MILLION LAST YEAR. In their annual review, Messrs. Pyne, Gould, Guinness, Ltd., Canterbury stock dealers, publish figures showing the remarkable consumptive capacity of Great Britain in the purchase of fat lambs. The following is the return of lamb exports to the United Kingdom (in thousands): —

As was anticipated, comments the review, the 1931 figures set up new records for each of the exporting countries. New Zealand, with an increase of over one million, is 15 per cent higher than its previous highest figure. Australia, with an increase also of over one million, is nearly 50 per cent higher than the previous year, and South America, with an increase of over one quarter of a million,, is about 5Vs per cent higher than the previous year.

It is remarkable to note the tremendous increase in the exports of lamb to the Old Country in the past five years. 1927 was the first year in which the United Kingdom received from all sources lambs totalling over 10 millions (the total in that year was 10,407,000), yet in four years the exports had reached 16,882,000, or an increase of 6,475,000, equal to 62 per cent. The New Zealand proportion of this increase was over 2Mj million, or about 50 per cent, South America 1% million or about 50 per cent, and Australia just over two millions, equal to 160 per cent. Although New Zealand lamb exports last year were nearly 2% times as many as the average for the three pre-war years, those from South America were 6% times as many. The figures are really amazing in view of the conditions known to exist in the Home markets, and we do not think we can be accused of being over cheerful when ,we say that they seem to promise very well for the stability "of our trade as soon as there is any general recovery. If under existing circumstances the Old Country can. take increasing quantities of lamb as she has done, what will she be capable of doing when her circumstances are more favourable, and what will be the possibilities if some of the artificial barriers to trade in other parts of the world are removed and new markets become available? It is anticipated that there will be a further considerable increase in the shipments Home this year, largely as the result of the increased supplies from New Zealand; a shortage in South American supplies will probably be offset by an increase from Australia.

N.Z. Aus. S. America. Total. 1912-14 .. 3429 14(57 788 5,084 1921-25 .. 4458 1597 2251 8,306 1920 5037 1752 2120 8,009 1927 0554 1258 3595 10,407 1928 5880 1245 3792 10,917 1929 5783 1495 4342 11,020 1930 .... 7107 2220 5100 14,487 1931 8219 3279 5384 16.S82