BELGIUM A MARKET

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 105, 6 May 1931, Page 12

BELGIUM A MARKET

■ OUTLET FOR BUTTER

WHY NOT NEW ZEALAND ?

M. A. Nihotte, Belgian Consul for New Zealand, has been iri/c'stigating the possibilities of Belgium as a market for New Zealand produce, and especially'for butter. In-.-i928 Belgimn^was classed among the liulter-cxporting countries. To-day, however, the position, is changed, and Belgium is a large importer. In fact, it comes next after England and Germany. England is undeniably the largest importer of butter in the world, purchasing ' more than '3,000.000- -quintals, or 1001b, : annually, antl Germany is next with 1,300,000 quintals. , "For the year just ended, 1930, JU. Nihotte reports, "Belgium's importations of .butter'amounted, to a value ot2oj--789,000 francs—approximately i,1,4j0,JJ.J. '■ Compared with the preceding year the ilitference is ouormous, for in. 1929 the: value of the imports of butter was only 130,45a,----000 francs-aboiit ■ £745,457. Thereiore it ' is not very astonishing that butter should arrive' from different foreign . countries. Denmark and Holland are the principal suppliers to Belgium, and the quantities m kilos (1 kilo-equals 2.201b) sold by those countries for'each month during 1930 was as follows: ~ 1 Denmark. Holland. Afonth 'Kilos. ■ Kilos. jK ... 417,000 272,000 m.T ' ' . ' 288 000 • 346,600 Anrl "■'". '197,400 337,200 "uav ' ' .... 310,700 ■ -335,700 fuhe [-I ...;.-..--328,700 328,200 '' r "L ." ' 2327600 214,100 vf-nust "6,500 438,800 Sember-:::::::.:-298,45« 33WH8 October .:.' 212,414 293,982 November : ... 326 848 242,032 ' Total, kilos-"...' 3,800,284' 3,784,190 "The totals' for 1929 were as. follow :— ' Denmark, 875,913 kilos; Holland 2,624,9/6 kilos France has also increased her sales in-Belgium,'and-in 1930 190,398 kilos were imbon;ed;-; compared with 151,032 kilos in 1929 Likewise England in 1930 re-exported 773 442 kilos of butter to Belgium, as compared with 552,121 kilos during the preced- ™ "life 04 total "imports from other countries have also increased considerably, lowing an amount of' 1,701,893 kilos for 1930 against .132,784; kilos in 1929. Among these other countries particular mention should-be made'of Lithuania, Argentine Republic, Finland,' Poland, and listhoma. Altogether, then/it is clear-that Belgium is .becoming an important : market .for foreign butter. ,Why should not New Zealand participate in., this trade? Ihe duty is light, approximately equal to 2s ' 4d:'per 220 pounds,, or..say Od per boi.