DOMINION'S EXPORTS

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16567, 3 June 1914, Page 12

DOMINION'S EXPORTS

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL PRODUCTS. GREAT INCREASE IN OUTPUT. COMPARATIVE STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. [Pes Press Association.] DUNEDIN, Juno 2. The Right Hon W. F. Massey, as Minister of Agriculture, made effective reference during his speech at the opening of the Winter Show this afternoon I to tho dominion's agricultural and pastoral etrength. In recent years; he ! said, the value of the various yields ' had increased steadily, and the position regarding tho principal products and j exports during the past two years was very satisfactory. For the year. end- ! ing on March 31, 1913, the export of principal products totalled £21,106,545, while for 1914 (ending March 31) the ! value was £22,112,99i>. The miscel- ' laneous exports were worth £1,400,000 and £1,877,044 in the respective years, making a total of £22,560.545 for 1913 and a total of £23,990,010 for 1914, an increase of £1,439,495. A comparative statement was made as to the total agricultural exports from 1863 to 1913, and also the percentage cf agricultural exports to tho total exports. While the percentage was only 25 per cent in 1863 the proportion of agricultural exports to the total exports increased remarkably during the next thirty yerirs, and continued to increase steadily during tho two succeeding decades. The percentages wero 25 per cent in 1863, 76 per cent in 1893. 77 per cent in 1903 and 85 per cent in 1913. The returns were:—lß63, total exports £3.485,405, agricultural exports £849 961; 1893, £8.985.364 and £6,851.055; 1903, £15.010.378 and £11.511.200; 1913, ! £22.990.672 and £19,525.771. | The Prime Minister also- emphasised the fact that the errowth of New Zealand's primary products had necessitated the opening of new markets. He cited tho following:—West coast of Canada, west coast of the United I States, and in the near future the enst I coast, via the Panama Canal. He also to the new contract with the j Un : on Steam Ship Company 33 to the services to Vancouver and San Frauds™, and provision of larger and faster stenmers, and the question of cheaper I freights. The exnort of wori ! for- the year ending March 31 i amounted to 183.f100,0001b, valued | at £7,500,000. This showed, as compared wiTh the export of ten years ago an increase of 17J per cent in quantity nnd 67} per cent in value. Ho mentioned that the prices obtained at the third scries of colonial wool sales recently in London were about id per lb higher for merino wools and Id per lb higher for crossbreds as compared with the prices at the same time last year. The statistics of the trade in frozen meat also revealed satisfying progress. The figures were:—Mutton, 1912-13, 1,92,692 cwt, value £1.544,.250; 191314, 1,272,208 cwt, va1ue'£1,905,502; increase, 179,51Gcwt, of a value of I £361,252. (This was tho highest for i ten years.) Lamb, 1912-13, 901,146 cwt, value £1,825,342 ;.1913-14, 1,186,658 cwt, [value £2,548,944; increase, 285.492c.vt value £723,602. Compared with ten years ago, these figures represent an increase of 80 • per cent in quantity and 135 per cent in value. Beef, 1913-14, 328,968 cwt, value £446,816. Compared with ten years ago thero was au increase of 81 per cent in quantity and 109 per cent in value. Of | hides and skins during 1903-04 the value exported was £530,683, in 1912- ( 13 £1,095,517, and in 1913-14 £1,214,196. Tlie increase for last year was £118,079, while tho increase for ten years was 129 per cent. In 190304 tho exports of tallow were valued at £472,390, in 1912-13 at £672,849, and in 1913-14 at £701,085. The increase for the year was £28.236, and the increase for ten years £228,695. Now records for butter and cheese, were established, stated Mr Massey. Butter in 1903-04 was exported to the total of 314.319 cwt, valued at £1,416,484. In 1912-13 it was i 369,1&3cwt, valued at £2,056,615. and in 1913-14 the total was 395,169 cwt, valued at £2,140,019. The increase for the year was 26,036 cwt, equal to £83,394. The increase for. ten years was over 25 per cent in quantity, and over 50 per cent in value. The quantitv of cheese exported in 1912-13 totalled 634,173 cwt, valued at £1,859,179. In 191314, it was 742,371 cwt valued at £2.195,273, an increase of 10&,198cwt and of £336,094 in value. Compared with ten years ago the country is now exporting more than eight and a half times the quantity for more than ten and a half times the value. For the first timo the value of cheese exported exceeded that of butter. It was safe to predict a continuance of the present excellent market for cheese, and he believed that beforo long tho exports of cheese would reach the enormous total of 50,000 tons annually. For the year ended March 31, 1913, 586 cwt of honey, valued at £llß2, was exported. For the nine months ending December 31, 1918, the quantity , was 1690 cwt, valued at £3293. As regarded the fruit industry Mr, Massey, who takes a live interest in its development, gave interesting par- . ticulars. In 1912 the area/of orchards j was 36,967 acres. The following year j tho area increased to 38,797 acres, while I thi« year (including the acreage to be planted this winter) tho area is 41,648 ; acres. Tho export of fruit in 1912 was : 14.869 cases, in 191.3 33,000 cases, and 85,000 cases this year, returns that bear testimony to the rapid develop-' ment of the industry. For the twelve ■ months ended March 31 last, about 25,000 cases of apples wore exported to Monto Video, and about 20C0 cases to Rio de Janeiro. This year 1000 cases of pears were exported to Vancouver, and 533 cases of pears and 201 cases of noacb.es to San Francisco. i

This part of the Prime Minister's address was received with appreciation by Lis audience.