BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 September 1934, Page 7

BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS . EMPIRE SUPPLIES INCREASE [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, August 31. The United Kingdom was again in 1933 the world’s largest importer of dairy 1 produce and pig produce, according to a survey by the Imperial Economic Committee. Although the total value was less by £14,000,000 than in 1932, imports of butter were a record at 8,835,000 hundredweight, 80 per cent of the world production being absorbed by the United Kingdom in 1933 against 60 per cent, in the three years 1928-30. Cheese at three million hundredweight showed a slight increase, over 1932. Egg consumption was 152 per head in 1933 compared with 150 in 1932, but the consumption of home produced eggs increased from 65 to 69 per cent. Following the quota regulations imposts of bacon at nine million hundredweight were 2,300,000 hundredweight below 1932. Denmark was the largest supplier of butter, eggs and bacon. Following the Ottawa Agreement, a marked increase was shown in the proportion from Empire sources. The Empire supplies 63 per cent, of butter, a larger proportion than ever previously, 93 per cent of cheese chiefly from New Zealand and Canada. The Empire supplies of eggs were 33 per cent, against 30 per cent in 1932. Bacon was 8 per cent., the highest proportion recorded.