CANNED FRUITS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 108, 3 November 1937, Page 5

CANNED FRUITS

BRITAIN USES MORE

ECONOMIC COMMITTEE'S

REPORT

More canned fruit was consumed in the United Kingdom in 193 C tnan ever before, according to the Imperial Economic Committee's annual report, "Supplies of Canned and Dried Fruit, 1i?36." Including home production and imported supplies, the total quantity Of canned.and bottled fruits, preserved in syrup, available for consumption last year was approximately 205,000 tons, equivalent to about 101b per head off the' population. In 1930 the aggregate supplies amounted to only about 130,000 ; tons, or less,than 6£lb per head (writes "The Post's" London correspondent). .... Imports of canned and bottled fruits into they United Kingdom have increased considerably since the war, and the total for 1936, at slightly over 186,000 tons, was a new record. In comparison with 1935 the figure for last year was only about 1 per cent, heavier, but compared with the average for the years 1929-33 the increase was as much as 30 per cent. This growth in imports has been accompanied by greatly-increased supplies from Empire sources., and during the past three years the Empire's contribution has averaged nearly 73,000 tons a year, representing about 40 per cent, of the total, as against less than. 19,000 tons, little more than 25 , per cent., in 1919-23.

Imports from Empire countries in 1936 totalled just over 71,000 tons, the same quantity as in the previous year. Supplies from Malaya and South both reached new high levels, but there was some reduction'in the shipments from Australia and Canada. Pineapples, peaches, and pears are the chief canned fruits imported, and in 1936 these accounted for 70 per cent, of the total'supplies. ' Imports 1 of raisins and sultanas in 1936 showed some recovery from the low level reached in 1934, but those of currants and dried tree fruits were light, arid, in consequence, the total imports of all kinds of dried: - fruit amounted to under 168,000 tons, as compared with the previous year's figure' of nearly 181,000 tons. There was a slight increase in the supplies of raisins and' sultanas and dried tree fruits from Empire countries, but this was offset by a big reduction in the consignments, of currants. The bulk of the .Empire supplies comes from Australia arid South Africa.

AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND TRADE.

New Zealand in 1935-36 took slightly less Australian canned fruits than in 1934-35, the total- being 20,906cwt as compared with 21,878cwt iiv the previous year. In 1929-30 the total was 46,214cwt. The decline over the sevenyear period is accounted for by a falling off in the quantity of canned apricots (from 12,397cwt in 1929-30 to 6760cwt in 1935-36). peaches (32,724cwt to 9674cwt), and pears 1018cwt to 4l3cyt). On the other hand, the import of tinned pineapple has increased from a negligible quantity to 1283cwt, and "other sorts" of canned fruit from 75cwt to 2776cwt.

In the, same seven-year period, Australia has: increased 'her exports of canned fruit from 280,714cwt to 442,579cwt.

Since 1930-31 New Zealand's imports of dried vine fruits from Australia have also decreased." In 1930-31 New Zealand, imported 612,000cwt of sultanas. . The 1936-37 figure is 384,000cwt, which is nevertheless a rise on the 1935:36-total -of 336,000cw.t. ;; ..On .the. other hand, New Zealand has imported slightly mere currants OOOOcwt to 12,000cwt) and lexias (lOOOcwt 7to 9500cwt). ■ ■ ...

New Zealand imports a considerable quantity of dried apricots from South Africa, the total in! 1936 being 3656cwt as against 852cwt in 1935, and 7483cwt in 1932. Imports of "other dried fruits" have fallen considerably. In 1930 New Zealand used 1695cwt. In 1935 the figure had fallen to'2cwt. The 1936 total showed an improvement to 26cwt. -