BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

Southland Times, Issue 24273, 2 November 1940, Page 12

BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

SOURCES OF SUPPLY CLOSED German occupancy of Continental countries has entirely closed up a source of food supply to England representing annually more than £77,000,000. The British newspapers are pointing out the great chance that this has given to British farmers to increase their production. The advice can be applied to New Zealand production. An article in the latest issue to hand of The Farmer arid Stockbreeder, commenting on the position, says that nobody imagines that Britain can ever make up the whole of the gaps caused, but if farmers could replace only a small proportion of the products which are no longer reaching England there would be enough to keep every farmer, worker, and machine at top speed. Continental supplies of grain and flour were small—about 4 per cent, of the total imports—but when bacon and dairy produce are considered it is realized how new large sources of supply must be found. Two-thirds of Great Britain’s bacon imports came from the Continent and more than half the poultry imports. Of butter imports 44 per cent, came from Europe, and Denmark sent nearly 50 per cent of the imported milk and cream. Swiss supplies of these products and of cheese were presumably no longer available. Fruit and vegetables offer some scope for British holdings, and in this category the country now had to reckon without the Channel Islands potatoes and tomatoes, which represented £3,500,000 a year. In 1938 the value of European imports of fruit and vegetables was nearly £8,500,000 sterling, or about 21 per cent of the total imports. The development of flax growing in England has been one of the noteworthy developments of war-time change-over in cropping. Belgium had hitherto supplied a large proportion of the flax needs, and all Europe sent seven-eighths of England’s requirements. The value in 1938 of the importations from occupied countries was as follows:— £ Grain and flour (including Soviet supplies) 6,836,782 Animal feeding stuffs 601,919 Bacon, ham, poultry, etc. 22,369,293 Dairy produce 34,371,472 Fruit and vegetables 8,454,463 Flax and hemp 4,450,343 £77,084,272 NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS The products that concern New Zealand directly may be separated from

The figures indicate the scope that should exist in New Zealand for extending production in most of the foregoing commodities, states The Press. Peas already provide one striking instance, and production in this country is making some headway towards closing the gap. Bacon provides still greater scope, but results of a necessity have to be slower than in the case of an annual crop like peas. There would even appeal - to be scope in butter, seeing that 44 per cent, of the total imports of 1938 came from countries now under the control of the aggressor and closed. Cheese apparently provides little scope in comparison, but it is a more important wai - need. Milk powder production apparently could be extended without choking the market, and flax provides huge scope. These possibilities should not be ignored when Dominion farmers are planning their production for the war period, and for subsequent years for that matter.

EFFECTS OF RAIDS ON STOCKS LOSSES OF FOODSTUFFS NEGLIGIBLE In spite of the evident vulnerability of the big refrigerated food depots, in common with all other buildings exposed to enemy air attack, there has been a most gratifying failure on the part of the enemy to destroy the great stores of meat, butter and other produce lying at our ports and centres of population, wrote the London correspondent of The Press on September 25. One or two isolated cases of damage done to port stores are on record, but the fact that the resultant food loss has been trifling is evidenced by the recent statement of the Minister for Food that the total loss of food in this country from enemy action since the beginning of the war has not exceeded a single meal a head of the population. Nevertheless, the Government is pursuing a cautious policy in the disposal of food stocks and there have been no hitches or holdups in the transport of meat and produce under the Government marketing schemes operating with food rationing.

NON-MARKING FROZEN MEAT At this time of the year, when home grown meat comes off the pastures, it is only normal practice that the public gets the majority of its meat from home sources. The Ministry of Food has announced that at this time less frozen meat will accordingly be issued, and in case this should weigh heavily on the purse of the poorer class consumer, arrangements have been made for the distribution of second grade home-killed meat in required quarters. In view of the possibility of their being substitution of the one quality for the other, the Ministry has been asked whether it would institute a system of grade marking on all homekilled supplies, but the Government has decided not to do this, but to institute a close watch on grade issues and to impose severe penalties in the case of any offences being encountered. Those who were of opinion that the ■home meat farmer was going to get it all his own way in revised fat stock prices for the season ahead have been disappointed, and some heartburning has been caused in farming circles by what is regarded as the low level of autumn prices. The Ministry of Food, determined that the hard-pressed consumers should have food purveyed to them as cheaply as possible, has built up huge reserves in many parts of the country to meet sudden emergency demands. Imports of beef and mutton have been well in excess of requirements, and it has been clear that steps would have to be taken to reduce home-produced supplies of meat. While the meat retailer has to be content with a net profit of about 5 per cent, in war time, a farmer loses money if he does not realize a clear 30 per cent, on his turnover. However, the Ministry of Food has promised that should substantial changes occur in the costs of production stock prices shall be again re- , vised.

the mass:— Total Closed Imports. Countries. Peas, cwt. 1,897,572 595,098 Bacon, etc., cwt. 6,864,467 4,629,233 Butter, cwt. 9,508,511 4,027,643 Cheese, cwt. 2,928,114 272,280 Milk powder, cwt. 355,054 90,182 Flax, tons 40,702 35,590 154,074 Hides and skins, cwt. 741,658