SCOTTISH PROVISION TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21598, 19 March 1932, Page 16

SCOTTISH PROVISION TRADE

CONDITIONS IN THE PAST YEAR BACON IMPORTS. (From Ouk Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 2. At the annual meeting of the Scottish Provision Trade Association, held in Glasgow, Mr John S. Fraser, reviewed the activities of the past year, and said that the dairy produce section of the trade had been notable for abundant supplies of the very highest qualities from all sources.. With the opening of the New Zealand and Australian season and the prospect of very heavy supplies, butter prices fell to a low level. From the consumer’s point of view this abundant supply at pre-war prices was most gratifying. There was no doubt, however, that the low level of prices bore hardly on the producer, and the returns to the farmers in New Zealand and Australia must be _ disappointing after so many years of higher levels. In the Scottish cheese trade the season opened with very low prices, and it looked as if the farmers were going to have an unremunerative season. Fortunately from their point of view.there were marked improvements as the summer advanced and prices rose steadily. _ Compared with other products of farming the past year had been, reasonably satisfactory to its producers, in this country. Supplies of imported bacon were on an unprecedented scale. The total quantity imported into the United Kingdom during the 12 months amounted to 11,137,829ewt, ah increase of about 1,150,000 cwt, or 20 per cent., as compared with 1030, which was itself a record year. Supplies from Denmark were by far the largest item in the United Kingdom bacon market. Imports from this source during 1931 were 21 per cent, greater than in 1930, thereby establishing a further record and accounting for practically twothirds of the total bacon imports.