EXPORTS FROM AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24272, 1 June 1944, Page 6

EXPORTS FROM AUSTRALIA

• ♦ FOODSTUFFS SENT TO BRITAIN HIGH COMMISSIONER’S STATEMENT (P,A,) WELLINGTON, May 31. “The figures relating to the exports of foodstuffs from Australia to Britain contained in the statement made by Mr W. Bankes Amery. leader of the United Kingdom JFood Mission, might possibly be misconstrued,” said the High Commissioner for Australia, Mr T. G. de L. D’Alton, in a statement to-night. . . , , “The idea which might have been gained that Australia’s food production had declined, was entirely erroneous," said Mr D’Alton. There had been an enormous increase in primary production, and the beef, sheep, and pig populations had increased, by /he end of last,year by 9 per cent, 12 per cent., and 35 per cent, respectively. The figures quoted showed a decline in exports of butter, meat and cheese from Australia to Britain, but they should be related to Australia’s total commitments for other theatres of war. Immense supplies of food were being exported from Australia to meet the needs of the Allied forces in the Pacific in India, and elsewhere. In spite of great manpower difficulties, meat production in Australia for the year ended December, 1943, totalled 1.045.000 tons, an increase of 90,000 tons above the 1942 production, and only 7000 tons short of the Commonwealth record for any one year. The meat goal for 1944 was 1,180,000 tons, and with growing Allied demands every' effort was being made to increase production. Meat rationing within Commonwealth was estimated to save 180,000 tons a year, or about 17 per cent, of last year’s production. The greatest problems in Australia’s food production programme were those facing the dairying industry, said Mr D’Alton. Due largely to manpower difficulties the output of butter had declined. but cheese production had greatly increased. The total production of milk rose from 1,106,150,000 gallons in the 1941-42 season to 1,128,100,000 gallons in the 1942-43 season, and the expected production for 1943-44 was 1.134.520.000 gallons. To meet further demands for butter, and make an even greater contribution towards overseas needs, the Australian ration of butter had just been cut to 6oz a week. It might be of interest to note, said Mr D’Alton, that from the outbreak of war to December 31. 1943, Australia had shipped foodstuffs and beverages worth £242,461,000 to all overseas destinations, and of these total exports Britain accounted for £129,527,000. or 53.42 per cent.. Included in this total were 673,943,0001b of butter, 97,324,000 lb of cheese, 1,726,075,0001b of meat, 503.081,0001b of fruit, and 54,585,000 dozen eggs. .