HEAVY EXPORT PERIOD

Evening Star, Issue 25716, 13 February 1946, Page 8

HEAVY EXPORT PERIOD

BIG CARGOES FOR BRITAIN MILLION BOXES BUTTER, 57,000 TONS MEAT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 12. With a large number of overseas vessels scheduled to load at New Zealand ports within the next six weeks, heavy consignments of dairy produce would be shipped to Great Britain before the end of March, said the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing, Mr Roberts, to-day. "We.are commencing one of the heaviest export periods for many months," said the Minister. " and despite the drought conditions with which some farmers have had to contend this season, it is expected that by the end of next month we shall have loaded nearly 1,000,000 boxes of butter. 300.000 crates of cheese, and about 57,000 tons of meat for Britain. Last Saturday more than 80,000 crates of cheese left Wellington on board the Paparoa.,and the Dominion Monarch. The Paparoa carried 40,407 crates and the Dominion Monarch 39,927 crates. This totals almost 6,000 tons of cheese, and in addition the Dominion Monarch carried 45,000 boxes of butter, of more than 1,100 tons net weight. Between them these vessels also uplifted 6.134 tons of meat." The Minister added that four more vessels were at present loading dairy produce in New Zealand. These were the Kent and Essex, loading at Auckland, Papanui at Napier, and Empire Highway at Wellington. The total of their cargo would be 240,000 boxes of butter and 82,000 crates of cheese. These vessels were 'also loading meat, and with the addition of the Lanarkshire and Orion, the total consignment of moat for the six vessels would be 18,321 tons.

" The future programme envisages a further 14 ships to clear Dominion ports before the end of March, added the Minister. These would carry approximately 394,820 tons of meat, and ihe majority of them would also load dairy produce. The present cargo allotment for 10 of these ships provided for a total of 660,000 boxes of butter and 220,000 i-rntes of rheese.