British Butter Imports.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1935, Page 24 (Supplement)

British Butter Imports.

Britain is still the greatest butter importing country in the world. For the year 1934 Britain’s total imports of butter reached 485,000 tons, or an average of 9300 tons a week, exceeding all jprevious records, even going 10 per cent, above the 1933 figures. Of this amount 54 per cent, was supplied by British Commonwealth countries, the largest proportion ever recorded. Of the remaining 46 per cent, supplied for foreign countries, Denmark, as usual, heads the list with the ■huge total of 124,000 tons, as compared, with 126,000 tons in 1933. Soviet Russia shows a slight reduction but other countries, such as Sweden, Holland, and the Baltic States show slight increases. These, however, are but a trifle compared with the extraordinary increases in the importations from New Zealand and Australia, the former—l3s,ooo tonsbeing 7 per cent, more than 1933,, and the latter—los,ooo tons—being 24 per cent, greater than 1933. In fact, notwithstanding the low net prices which this Dominion has been able to obtain, she has now supplanted Denmark as the largest exporter of butter to Great Britain. Results of Top-dressing. Mr. A. J. Lilley, Warea, is a believer in the use of slag for top-dressing. Though that fertiliser is much dearer now he says that he is convinced from practical experience that it is well worth while. He has consistently used slag for top-dressing, using 3Jcwt to the acre, and in the past five years has doubled his production, which has increased from 15,0001 b of butterfat to 30,0001 b off 184 acres, of what is by no means first-class land. It is all done off grass too, a surplus 13 acres of which he has converted into ensilage for winter use. Other farmers in the district who have used slag, he states, have also had beneficial results and he considers that in view of the proved value of slag it should also receive a Government subsidy, if any other fertiliser does.