EGGS FOR BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 11, 13 July 1939, Page 12

EGGS FOR BRITAIN

As the imports of eggs into the United Kingdom so far this year have been 5 per cent, greater than last year, the prospects for the Australian exporting season/ which starts in July are good. The Egg Marketing Board has begun packing eggs for export, and although at present heavy cargo bookings make it difficult to secure refrigerated space, it is expected that the first cargo will be on its way to Great Britain before the end of the month. Last year Australia exported more than 10,000,000 dozen eggs, valued at £600,000. About 99 per cent, of these went to the United Kingdom. Australia comes only sixth in the list of countries from which Britain imports eggs, for Britain's imports last year totalled 277,000,000 dozen. Australian eggs are well favoured on the London market, and realise 11s to 13s 6d sterling a long hundred (10 dozen). Their price is inferior only to that of local, Irish, and Danish eggs, and is occasionally exceeded slightly by those from South Africa. The export of Australian eggs has shown great increases in recent years. Rising from almost negligible figures before the war it was 1,500,000 dozen in 1925 and 10,120,000 dozen in 1938. In 1934 it reached its peak with 21,680,000 dozen. At present Australia's home consumption is about 84 per cent, of the total production, and is increasing rapidly.