DAIRY PRODUCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 117, 19 May 1937, Page 13

DAIRY PRODUCE

EXfrVNblNd MARKETS

PROGRESS LAST YEAR

COMPETITION AT HOME

: . An .announcement in Auckland yesterday by the Minister of Agriculture Xthe Hon. W. L. Martin) that in-' , : creased sales of New Zealand butter and.cheese were recorded.last year in markets. other, than the United Kingdom will be welcomed by those who have been advocating for many years that -New Zealand should seek fresh for trade. As compared with the previous year, said the Minister, there had been a 45 per cent, increase in sales"'" to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Japan, India, Siam, Ceylon, Singapore, the Philippines, Honolulu, Panama, and the British. West Indies. Between August.l and April.3o, he said, it was hoped to expand these outlets, and assistance"' was " expected from the -direct service -instituted by the Royal . 'Packet Navigation.Company, Ltd., During recent years New Zealand has had to meet increasing competition on the United Kingdom market from European countries, which are more arid more exploiting a profitable and '■■conveniently handy field. While NewZealand last year maintained her position as the largest supplier of butter ■to the United Kingdom,- there were other countries which made greater headway; ~ Imports of- butter into the United Kingdom last year from New Zealand totalled- • -2,791,9Wcwt, as against 2,637,535 in 1935, 2,676,794 m 1934, and 2,511,810 in 1933." From New Zealand's point of view last years figure was a satisfactory one, representing an increase lof 6 per cent, on the previous year and 27 per cent.'of the' total" imports,' but; what ■of the progress made by some foreign competitors? Take the- Netherlands, for instance. Impbrts to Great Britain from the Netherlands have increased -in' a truly'remarkable manner an recent years. -In 1933 the ;United Kingdom took" from this country 145,770cwt of butter.'-In 1934 the total jumped to 301,137cwt, in 1935 to 464,508cwt, and last year it "reached 746,101cwt. Reasons assigned for the big advance are a; falling off of exports to Germany and a reduced home consumption. The first reason -is likely to be a continuing one, as Germany today is turning to factory-production rather than farm production.and the result is a perceptible increase in butter productionWhether the local -demand for butter in the Netherlands will increase is..,a . matter'for conjecture, but in any case -the Government has taken steps in the last year to Safeguard the export trade, so/that exports to the United "Kingdom may be ■ expected to pc maintained or. even increased. POLAND'S ADVANCE. .There are other countries whicharej also exploiting the United Kingdom market. Poland is a notable example. In 1933 {he quantity of Polish butter shipped to Great Britain was 217cWt, but last year it jumped to 188,954. Lithuania arid Latvia have also shown a steady advance over recent years. Of course, Denmark still remains New Zealand's greatest competitor in the United 'although there has Ween' a "slight falling' tendency, .since 1933, when Denmark sent 2,519,126cwt to Great Britain and was slightly in advance-df New Zealand/ In 1934;. the quantity ~fell'' to' 2,485,810cwt, to 2186,350," and' in 1936 to 2,170,542. Last year" the United Kingdom imports of butter totalled 9,752,043cwt,-. and of that 5,137,025 A came from Empire countries. ■■■■■■• ■ ■ New: Zealand "was by far the largest supplier of cheese to the Home market last year, I although ■ imports^ at 168li47cwt'showed a decline :of 5 per cent compared with the .previous year Canadian production increased by 28 per cent., but Australian production, owing to unfavourable weather .conditions; fell by 32 per-.cent. .Of foreign 'suppliers the Netherlands headed th"c list with 181,542cwt, representing a small decline on the previous year and" Denmark jumped- from 10,158cwt in 1935 to 29,107 last year France made a notable advance, 23,243 cwt last year as against 8069 in the previous year.- Of the total of 2,676,489c\vt of: cheese imported by the ■ United Kingdom- last year, 2,405,390 came from • Empire countries. OTHER MARKETS. v.Jn-addition to the United Kingdom,' • New Zealand has'established 'markets, for her butter- in just,.over a dozen other-countries, and to; some exports { have shown- an. increasing tendency in recent years. In no case, however, j are the-exports large. .The position may best be summed., up by the fact that' of the total export of butter Ui 1935 of 2,789,298cwt the amount which found its-way to the' United Kingdom was1 2,696,832cwt. In that year, the United States of- America .was .the best customer apart from.the United Kingdom," taking 46,419cwt. In . the statement, he made -in Auckland, the Minister of Agriculture-made particular mention, of eleven countries which had increased, their purchases by 45. per cent, last year. In the table below are shown the quantities of butter which sortie ■of these countries have. taken from New Zealand .since 1931. Jn /the case of'those -countries not mentioned in the table the quantities taken have been so small as .not to be worthy of Separate notice. in"official statistics. The table is as follows:— ■ .■ - •

From the above, it will be seen that in the case of Hong Kong and Japan a 45 per' cent, increase still falls a long way short of bringing New Zealand back to the position she once occupied. The position1 in regard to cheese is as follows:—; . '

10S1. :1932.' 1033. 1934. 1933. cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. . cwt. Hone 'Kong -453 ■ 1,079 1,032 2,423 817 tan,in - ■--. ' 712 • 603 375 085 S3 ndi". .V.. T88 ,963 1,120 1,674 2.0S0 PhlippWs. 850 188 50 460 771 Panama .'.6,161 -8,980 13.400 14,343 15,22ii rt"t IndlM 400 - 4,556.10,043 10.200

11)31. -19:52. 1!)33. "■■■, cwt. cwt. cwt. ton? Kong.. 65 "S3 ' 303 Mn»ma" :<'..' 44 " 84 .« Vest Indies . -r : , — — 11131. I1M.I. cwt. cwt. 281 ■•2BB — l.lir.T 316 112