SEVERE DECLINE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 125, 22 February 1944, Page 5

SEVERE DECLINE

Australian Food Sent To Britain

EXPORTS OF MEAT AND BUTTER HALVED

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.- —Copyright-) (Received February 21, 10.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, February 21.

A severe decline in the volume of food exported from Australia to Great Britain is revealed in figures supplied by the Minister of Commerce, Mr. Scully. Australia in the first year of the war sent to Britain 244,101,0001 b. of butter, but from that peak exports declined to 110,475,0001 b. in 1942-43, the most recent period for which figures are available. Both butter and meat exports have been practically halved and decreases in many other foods shipped have also been heavy. Australia sent Great Britain 582,781,0001 b. of meat in 1939-40, compared with only 246,108,0001 b. in 1942-43. It is reported that Britain would be satisfied if Australia’s meat exports could be maintained at the pre-war average, which was about 490,000,0001 b. Cheese exported declined from 40,682,0001 b. in 1939-40 to 15,300,0001 b. in 1942-43. However, a new compensating export has been butterfat, which Britain did not take before 1942-43, when it received 6,141,0001 b. Each pound of butterfat is the equivalent of about 2lb. of ordinary butter.