BRITISH DAIRY IMPORTS

Southland Times, Issue 22131, 27 September 1933, Page 15

BRITISH DAIRY IMPORTS

NEW ZEALAND’S SHARE INCREASES. MORE ACTIVITY IN EGG TRADP Butter to the value of £1,500,000 entered the United Kingdom in 1932, and of that amount New Zealand contributed more than a quarter, according to the report just issued by the Empire Marketing Board on “Dairy Produce Supplies.” New Zealand’s share of the United Kingdom market marked an increase of 14 per cent, and helped to establish a record for butter coming from Empire sources. Details of her shipments of butter are given in a special section of the report.

New Zealand also increased her share of the cheese market, supplying 62 per cent of the total imports. The imports of Canadian cheese, which had been on the decline, once more increased, as did the quantities received from Australia and South Africa. Together Empire supplies amounted to 90 per cent, of the total imports, and were greater than in the previous year. An Encouraging Feature.

An encouraging feature of the report above quoted is the increasing proportion of imports coming from Empire sources. This was especially striking as regards butter, the Empire supplying 52 per cent of the total imports. Half the Empire butter, and more than a quarter of all the butter imported, was from New Zealand (making an increase of 14 per cent.), and 22 per cent, of the total came from Australia.

Denmark maintained her place as chief butter purveyor to the United Kingdom with 31 per cent., the Argentine being ranked fourth. The advances of Empire supplies would appear to have been made at the expense of foreign supplies, particularly from Russia, whose share dropped by 20 per cent, and also from the Baltic countries. The world production of butter is thought to have fallen off as a consequence of the continued depression in prices. There was certainly less entering world trade, but of that amount the United Kingdom had an increasing share, estimated at three-quarters of the total. This, together with the estimated amount of home-produced butter, provided 21.81 b for each person in the country, as against 20.91 b in 1931. The fall in prices was considerable, Australia and New Zealand finest salted butters alone being 10 per cent, cheaper than last year. Britain’s Imports.

Britain’s imports of milk powder fell away in 1932 from their record of the previous year, although the proportion of Empire supplies was considerably larger. New Zealand increased her supply by 3 per cent, but notwithstanding this fact she lost her place as chief source of supply to the Netherlands. The decline in total imports is due in great measure to smaller imports from the United States.

In contrast with the larger butter and bacon imports, eggs showed a decrease of 60,000,000 dozen, as compared with 1931. New Zealand supplies, however, were heavier than in the two preceding years, and Australian entries were substantially heavier. Despite this fact Empire imports as a whole were less, principally because of reduced supplies from the Irish Free State, South Africa and Canada. There was also a marked decline in imports from European countries.

The importance of butter in international trade has led the Empire-Market-ing Board to devote a section of the report to the state of the butter market in various European countries, which have become alarmed by the incursion of a commodity usually supplied by home industry. There are also sections which deal vzith shipments of cheese from New Zealand, with the production and trade of cheese in Canada, as well as with other topics. British duties on foreign dairy products are:—Milk and cream, 10 per cent.; cheese, 15 per cent; butter 15s per cwt; condensed milk 6s per cwt unsweetened and 5s per cwt sweetened; eggs, Is per long hundred (120 eggs).

LIVE STOCK. MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING. CATTLE, HORSES AND PIGS. Something has already been said in these columns about the need for study in the farming profession, but the fact that study is as important to the farmer as to any other business man can be stressed again. The average farmer is prone to think that vzhen he has finished his day’s work he has had enough of farming for the 24 -hours, but the farmer who rises above the average, and makes a better return than the average, is the man who studies the best methods and puts them into practice.

In studying his trade the farmer can do a great deal by watching the methods of more experienced men but there is no easier method of gathering knowledge than by studying books and fortunately New Zealand possesses a number of books that apply exclusively to the requirements of Dominion farmers. Literature on farming in New Zealand reaches a very high standard and that standard makes up, in a large degree, to the comparatively small number of books available to the farmer, but fortunately the number is being steadily increased. One of the latest additions to this class of literature is “The Breeding and Management of Live Stock (Cattle-Horses-Pigs)” by A. W. G. Lipscomb H.D.A., H.D.D., the section on pig farming being by F. Discombe. The volume is published by Whitcombe and Tombs Limited and is priced 6/6, at which figure it supplies a wealth of information at a remarkably low cost.

The book contains a general survey of the Dominion as regards soil fertility, climate, food supply and distribution of stock, and deals with the fundamental principles of breeding in a manner that should convey a good deal to the average breeder and a great deal to the man who has not considered breeding from a scientific stand-

point. Tire various sections deal fully with the different classes of stock and each group is treated from its various standpoints, utility being the main point, however. Common ailments and their remedies are also treated and this section alone should save any farmer more than the price of the book in the course of a few seasons.

In view of the fact that pork is one of the few products of New Zealand that has not been threatened with the quota system, the section on pigs should be of considerable interest to dairy farmers in Southland, and it is safe to say that 99 per cent of these farmers would learn things from this chapter that should make them view pig rearing in an altogether different light from that which most farmers adopt at the present time. While large areas of land are required for dairy farming and sheep raising, Mr Discombe states, pig farming can be carried out on comparatively small holdings. Ten acres of land allotted entirely to pig farming will return the farmer a good living, whereas five or more times this area would be required to obtain a satisfactory income from dairying or sheep raising even in a limited way. Pigs multiply more rapidly, mature more quickly on less food, and produce a more digestible flesh than any other domestic animal. The annual increase in cattle ranges from 80 to 90 per cent., in sheep 100 to 150 per cent, and in pigs 1200 to 2000 per cent. No other animal possesses _ the same capacity to convert a given amount of food into flesh. It requires 12 to 13 pounds of dry matter (i.e., food with the moisture removed) to produce one pound of flesh in a bullock, in a sheep it takes 8 to 9 pounds for a gain of one pound of mutton, but in a pig it takes only 4 to 5 pounds to produce one pound of pork.... Throughout the world there is an unlimited and expanding market for bacon, ham pork and pig products. It is more than ever necessary in these hard times for the farmers of Southland to make the most of their stock and this publication will help them to do so.

FROZEN MEAT TRADE CONTINENTAL HANDICAPS. SURVEY BY BOARD. No better evidence of the difficulties of international trading can be found than in the position which faces New Zealand meat exporters in their desire to do business with the countries of Continental Europe. Tariffs, quotas, and stringent veterinary restrictions combine to pile up the handicaps. Information on these subjects is regularly secured by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, and it has recently made a summary of the facts, as they exist to-day. It discloses that there is very little prospect, if any, of extending the export of New Zealand meat into most of the Continental countries.

There might be some possibility of development in Belgium, but the first outstanding fact in the board’s survey relating to the country is that Belgium does not import lamb. It takes outside supplies of beef and mutton, but South American competition has so far excluded New Zealand on a price basis. In any case, imports into Belgium are on a quota, amounting to nine-tenths of the imports for the year 1931, while there are Customs duties and a sales tax of 5 per cent, of the duty-paid value.

Germany has abandoned the quota principle in favour of much more drastic restriction of a veterinary nature. Whole carcasses only may be imported, and the various organs must remain attached, in their natural positions. These measures were designed to protect the German agricultural industry.

Prohibitions and Quotas.

Norway simply prohibits the importation of all classes of frozen meat, while its neighbour Sweden requires such an elaborate system of veterinary inspection at time of slaughtering, and of marks and certificates that business could not be profitably conducted with that country. The board’s London officers who looked into the possibilities of the trade with Sweden were informed by the Commercial Councillor of the British Legation at Stockholm that the Swedish Medical Board do not regard frozen meat exported from New Zealand as complying with their requirements. Its import into Sweden, adds the British authority, is therefore not permitted. In the Netherlands the quota prevails, so that apart from some other difficulties which present themselves, this principle bars New Zealand meat, the reason being that imports of pork, beef and veal are subject to a quota based on the previous year’s imports. As New Zealand has had no business with the Netherlands it cannot obtain a quota. France allows meat imports on a quota basis, fixed quarterly in advance, and it imposes the following duties: Lamb, 180 francs per kilo; mutton, 260 francs; pork, 180 francs; and beef, 180 francs per kilo. In addition there is an import tax ranging from 25 to 50 cents pel’ kilo.

“Most Favoured Nation” Clause.

Italy has extensive veterinary regulations in respect to meat importations, and imposes a duty of 140 lira per 100 kilos on New Zealand imports, a basis which extends to nearly all countries, and gives no special preference, though in any case the “most favoured nation” clause under which New Zealand may import to Italy is entirely at the discretion of the Ministry of Finance, which may change the duty to 200 lira per 100 kilos without notice. Spain is not an importer of frozen meat.

Denmark, by a decree of 1924, prohibited the importation of New Zealand frozen lamb, mutton, beef, and pork. This decree, it is understood, is still effective, though at the time of reporting the board was making further inquiries to ascertain if there has been any recent variation. Under the difficult conditions which have been enumerated, it is extremely unlikely that exporters in the ordinary course of business, would venture to consign meat to most of the Continental countries.

With regard to new markets generally. the Meat Board has always been keenly alive to the desirability of establishing new markets for our meat wherever possible, and has from time to time purchased and sent forward on consignment shipments of meat to test markets. The resultant information, including details of realization, is circulated to all those in New Zealand who might be in a position to take advantage of the opportunity thus created.