BRITAIN'S FOOD PROBLEM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 49, 26 February 1918, Page 3

BRITAIN'S FOOD PROBLEM

INFLUENCE OF WAR TIMES. Already considerable advantage has been gained by the limitation of exports and imports (says a recent- issue of Engineering). Before the war we were importing at the rate of about 58,000000 tons per annum, but last year the imports fell to 43,000,000 tons, and this year it will be considerably less. Of the 58,000,000 tons rather less than a quarter was foodstuffs, the remainder was raw and. other material for peace requirements. Hast year, however, twothirds of our supplies were foodstuffs, munitions of war, and material for the manufacture of munitions, leaving only about 14,000,000 tons lor productive industries, as compared with upwards of 40,000,000 tons in pre-war times. In the present year it would seem that we are likely to get even less than the 14,00,0000 tons for productive industries. The total imports in 1913 were valued at £760,000,000, of which about £94,00,000 came from the countries which are now enemies. In 1916 our imports were valued at £949,000,000 none of which came from enemy countries. The rise in price accounts for a large part of the phenomenon of an increase in value with a decline in bulk from 58,000,000 to 43,000,000 tons : on the basis of pre-war prices the cost would have beeil about £800,000,000 This is due to the different class of commodity being imported, a far higher price being paid for the unproductive material of war, which circumstances have compelled us to substitute for the imports of peace time. The value of our exports and manufactures in the year prior to the . war was £525,000,000, while last year they were valued at £506,000,000; but if the prices had remained the same as in 1913 the total would only have been £386,000,000. The export trade has therefore been reduced by about 26 per cent, 10 per cent having been exports to our present enemies, and the remainder to other parts of the British Dominions, to our Allies, and to other foreign countries. Our exports to Allies have increased to some extent, but this affords no substitute for the loss of permanent trade. Our exports to other foreign countries and to the Dominions oversea have fallen off in value by about £100,000.000, representing on pre-war values £337,ooo,ooo—nearly one third of the total.