DOMINION PRODUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20897, 12 June 1931, Page 13

DOMINION PRODUCTION.

OVER £118,000,000 IN 1929-30. DECLINE FROM RECORD FIGURE. GROWTH OF MANUFACTURES. A decline of 6 per cent, in the value of production in New Zealand is shown by the estimate for 1929-30 compiled by the Government Statistician. The comparison is made with the record figure for 1923-29, but the latest estimate is also lower than that for 1927-28, and is almost identical with that for 1924-25. Previous estimates have been revised, with the effect of reducing all the earlier totals. One result is that 1922-23 (instead of 1920 21) is the first year credited with production exceeding £100,000,000. The latest estimation compares as follows with the revised figures for the preceding five years: — 1921-25 .. .. £118,117,000 1925-26 k , k . 111,707,000 1926-27 ,i ». 112,095,000 1927-28 ~ .. 119,892.000 1923-29 .. .. 125.304,000 1929-30 . . .. 118,172,000 Separate estimates arc given for eight divisions of production. Those for the last two years compare as follows: — 1928-29. 1929-30. Agricultural .. .. £9,375,000 £8,874,000 Pastoral . . . . 42,320.000 33.657,000 Dairying, poultry, bees 30,411.000 29,684,000 Mining . . . ■ 3,499,000 3,589,000 Fisheries .. ■, 451,000 554,000 Forests .. .. 3,128,000 3,338,000 Factories ~ . . 23,700,000 25,034,000 Builders, etc. .. 12,418,000 13,442,000 Tho outstanding feature is the decline of 20 per cent, in tho value of pastoral products, while there were falls of 5 per cent, in agricultural products and of 2 per cent, in dairying, poultry and bee production. Tho total for the three farming groups fell from £82,000,000 to £72,200,000. The corresponding totals for 1926-27 and 1927-28 were £66,900,000 and £76,900,000. Estimates in these groups ars based on export values, and therefore include valuo added to primary production between the farm and tho port of shipment. Tho estimate for mining productions is only £SOOO below the previous record of 1918-19. Fishery production is the highest for recent years, though below the record of £584,000 in 1925-26. Forest products exceeded £5,000,000 in 1924-25 and 1925-26, so that tho latest figures represent a considerable contraction from that period. Valuo of production from factories is based on tho value added to materials by the process of manufacture. The estimates show an annual increase extending over eight years in the factory products group —from £18,420,000 in 1922-23 to the record of over £25,000,000 for 1929-30. The highest figure in the builders, labourers and industrial workers' group was £13,877,000 in 1926-27. After a decline for two years, a substantial increase is shown by the latest valuation.