BISCUITS AND SWEETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19832, 30 December 1927, Page 7

BISCUITS AND SWEETS.

DOMINION'S CONSUMPTION.

NEARLY £2,000,000 A YEAR,

FOUR-FIFTHS. LOCALLY MADE. Biscuits and confectioneryincluding ice-cream, to the value of £1,944,660 were consumed in New Zealand during the year ended March 31, 1927, according to a report by the Government Statistician on returns furnished by the industry. This was only £33,000 more than in the previous year, but £310,000 more than in 1924-25. The production of biscuits in the New Zealand values amounted to tons, valued at £530,766; confectionery manufactured amounted to 5685£ tons, valued at £873,'485, and other products, including ice-cream and some biscuits and confectionery not shown separately in some returns, represented £222,018, making a total production for the year of £1,626,269. The report contains a summary for the last five years, showing the value of local production, the imports and the exports, deduction of the latter from, eggregat® of the first and second giving the consumption in the Dominion. The exports', are relatively small—£s6B3 in the last year—and are omitted from the lollowing; summary—for years ended March 31:—

The statistician remarks that a striking feature is tlie increase of 93 per cent, in the value of biscuits • and confectionery imported in 1926-27, as compared with-. 1922-23, against an increase of approximately 32 per cent, in the value of the production within the Dominion. In 1922-23* local production represented 88 per cent, of the consumption; in 1924-25 it contributed 90 per cent.; and last year 84 per cent. The report states that there appears to have been considerable activity in thai ''ice-cream industry in recent years, and! although returns have been obtained! from only the larger establishments, "this activity has strongly coloured the figures; for the whole biscuit and confectionery industry" for the year under review. There were 79 biscuit and confectioneryfactories operating during tha* year* against 69 for the previous year and 64' in 1924-25. Some tangible evidence of: the expansion in the industry is afforded; by the figures for land, buildings, plant and machinery, which rose from £867,111 in 1925-26 to £975,150 in 1926-27, or by 12; per cent.; and the number of persons engaged, which increased from 2494 to 2655„ the relative increase being 6 per cent.. The total amount paid as salaries and wages was £365,442 in 1926-27, against. £347,878, an increase of 5 per cent. Notwithstanding the increases in the. value of capital assets and the amount paid as salaries and wages, it is ratherstriking that the actual volume of work done as indicated by the cosit of materials, and value of products reflects little movement. . The cost of materials recorded,. £784,481, was only £1703, or "less than 1 per cent., greater than the figure for 1925-26, while the value of products was, approximately 2 per cent, greater than the similar figure for the previous year. The "added value," which represents the; difference between the cost of materials; and the value of products, shows an increase of £36,107, or 4 per cent.

Produced Conin New Zealand Imports. sumption. £ £ £ 1923 .. 1,230,363 167.496 , 1.391,712 1924 .. 1,884.460 299,974 1,876.788' 1925 .. • 1,469,SOS 277,431 1,633,949 1920 .. 1.538.459 331.346 1,911.039 1927 .. 1,626,269 324,074 1,944,660