BRITAIN'S IMPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 14, 17 January 1940, Page 4

BRITAIN'S IMPORTS.

BUTTER AND CHEESE

DOMINION SHIPMENTS FALL

Imports of butter into the United Kingdom during the year ended June 30, 1939, were 471,990 tons, valued at £50.170,309, as compared with 474,114 tons in 1937-38, a decrease of 2124 tons, or 0.45 per cent, states the 44th annual report of W. Weddell and Co. The quantity received from British sources was 240,453 tons, ov 50.90 per cent of the total, ae compared with 242,46 a tons, or 51.10 per cent in the previous year. There was again a considerable decline in shipment* of Witter from New Zealand, which totalled only 125,346 tons, a decrease of 14.328 tons. This deficiency was partly made up by increases of 6448 tons from Australia, 2965 tons from South Africa, and 3406 tons from Canada, the Irish total being practically unchanged. Increase from Holland. Russian supplies dropped out altogether, while the Argentine, which in 1930-31 ehipped 21,000 tons, .was only a negligible factor in the butter trade of Grea.t Britain. .Denmark sent a eligbtly lower quantity of butter, while Holland, the next largest supplier, ehipped a record' total of 40,943 tons, or 5832 tons more than in 1037-38. Sweden and Finland together showed little change and from other Baltic sources slightly increased supplies were received. Altogether imports from foreign countries amounted to 231.537 tons. The grand totals of arrivals of butter into the United Kingdom in the last six years have not varied by more than 3 per cent. The total arrivals of cheese from all sources during the year 1938-39 were 148,982 tone, comiwed with 149,393 tons in 1937-38. The total from British sources was 133,054 tons, an increase of 1460 tons. There, was another big increase in shipments' from Australia, which had trebled its export of cheese to Great Britain in the last two years. The two main cheeseproducing countries, New Zealand and Canada, both supplied smaller totals, the decreases being 3322* tone and 3572 tons respectively, but from Africa there wae a record only of 2340 tons, or nearly 2000 tons move than in 1937-38. Variations in Prlees. The range of quotations over the 12 months for Danish butter was between 120/ and 152/; New Zealand butter fell to 104/ and rose to 12ft', with Australian a few shilling lower. The averages for the year were 134/ for Danish, 116/6 for New Zealand, 113/10 for Australian and 109/9 for Argentine, the last being on the market for only part of the year. Xew Zealand, Australian and African cheese ranged between 47/ and 73/ per cwt, with averages of 66/6, 63/6 and 62/3 respectively. The average for Canadian cheese was 74/2. British retail price* for the year averaged about 1/3 a lb for beet Dominion! butter and 7d a lb for cheese. '