BUTTER, CHEESE AND MILK.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3381, 4 July 1927, Page 8

BUTTER, CHEESE AND MILK.

According to the statistical report on trade and shipping for 1926 issued from the Government Statistician’s office, the dairying industry furnished the Dominion with exports valued at £15,085,870, made up as follow: — • £ Butter 8,695,188 Cheese 5,939,359 Casein 106,251 Dried milk 309,794 Preserved milk 35,278 £15,085,870 If to the above amount. is added the 751,448 calfskins exported, and valued at £198,342, the total is £15,284,212. Butter constitutes the principal item of dairy export, the quantity shipped last year being 1,168,040cwfc, equal to 58,402 tons. The bulk of this was exported to countries within the Empire, the quantities and values being as under: — Cwt. £ Empire 1,130,037 8,397,412 Foreign 38,003 297,776 1.168.040 8,695,188 The United Kingdom took the bulk of our exported butter with 1,062,278cwt, or over 90 per cent., leaving 105,762cwt, which was exported to 20 different countries, twelve within the Empire, and eight foreign countries. Of the countries within the Empire, Australia took 34,945cwt, valued at £289,453; Canada came next with 29,403cwt, valued at £230,562; then followed the Straits Settlements, 2258cwt, value £18,071; Western Samoa, 421cwt, value £4039; Tonga, 285cwt, value £2650; Hong-Kong, 196cwt, £1643; Fiji, 184cwt, £1740; Ceylon, 30cwt, £247; British North Borneo, loewt, £168; Norfolk Island, 15 cwt, £144; India, Bcwt, £80;-find Solomon Island, 3cwt, £34. Of the foreign countries, the United States and her dependencies took the bulk of the 38,003cwt exported to foreign countries; the United States took 22,958cwt, valued at £172,593; Hawaii, 9206cwt, value £77,300; Philippine Islands, 1653 cwt, value £13,836. Japan took 1886cwt, value £14,923; Dutch East Indies, 1228 cWfc, value £10,283; China, 800cwt, value £6051; Society Islands, 269cwt £2761; and New Caledonia, 3cwt £29. It is doubtful whether a wider distribution can be obtained for our butter, and it may Ijp profitable to endeavour to stimulate consumption in the countries which already take our butter. The heaviest exports of butter were from the North Island, Auckland exporting considerably more than all the other ports together as will be seen from the table appended:— Cwt. £ Auckland 728,518 5,471,639 . Wellington ... 261,443 1,926,396 Lyttelton 32,226 241,957 Dunedin 21,195 154,983 Other ports ... 124,668 900,213 1.168.040 8,695,188 The average value is equal to very nearly 149/- per cwt. The quantity of cheese exported last year was 1,461,548cwt, but of this . quantity 1,450,037 went to the United Kingdom, leaving a balance of ll,sllcwt, ivhich was shipped to nine different countries. Australia took 9555cwt, valued at £40,478; the United ‘States, 1065cwt, valued at £4598; Fiji, 218cwt, value £1033; Western Samoa, 35cwt, value £210; Tonga, 18 cwt value £108; Norfolk Island, Bcwt, value £43; Falkland Islands, 7cwt, value £35; Society Islands, scwt, value £32; and Japan took just a pound’s worth of cheese. The heaviest exports of cheese were from Wellington as will be seen by the figures given below Cwt. £ Auckland 220,571 929,738 Wellington ... 770,183 3,168,302 Lyttelton 25,876 104,031 Dunedin 33,584 132,360 Other ports ... 411,334 1,604,928 1,461,548 5,939,359 The exports of dried full cream powder milk during last year amounted to 4,249,- i 5621b, valued at £222,956, and of this quantity 4,237,0781b went to the United Kingdom. The only foreign country to take this product was Hawaii, and 20401b. valued at £275, was exported to that island. Auckland exported 3,373,7801b and Wellington 875,7821b. The quantity of dried milk exported was 5,850,2921b, valued at £80,838, and here again the United Kingdom secured the bulk, with 5,470,2241b. Australia took 217,2481b, the Straits Settlements 51;5611b, France 44,800 lb, Hawaii 31,8761b, and the United States 12,0001b. Auckland appears to have a monopoly of this trade, for the exports from that port totalled 5,639,0921b, while fhe figures for Wellington are 11,20011). The exports of preserved and condensed milk, other than dried, are valued at £35,278. Australia took the bulk of this product, securing 1,092,0121b; Fiji took 64,6251b, the Society Islands 34,9341b, Western Samoa 22,9061b, Tonga 87061b, Solomon Islands 12451b, Norfolk Island 4501b, and New Hebrides 481b. Auckland exported 97,9801b, Wellington 34.934 lb, and other ports, probably Bluff. 1,092,0121b, for this is exactly the quantity taken by Australia.