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The foregoing figures show that there is a market in the United Kingdom for pig and poultry products. What prospects has New Zealand of entering it ? The United Kingdom's largest supplying country for both pig and poultry products is Denmark, with the United States second in pig-products. The United States can be ruled out as a lasting competitor, as she is fast coming to the point when she will require all her own meats for her own fastincreasing population. Twenty-five years ago the United States exported far more beef to the United Kingdom than all other countries combined. To-day she does not export any beef. Denmark is by far the largest supplier. Can New Zealand compete with that country ? Denmark is also New Zealand's big competitor in the butter-market. When New Zealand entered the butter trade seriously Denmark was already established as the chief supplier to Great Britain and had a firm hold of the market. The following figures show the quantity of butter imported by the United Kingdom from Denmark and New Zealand respectively at five-yearly intervals for the last twentyfour years:—

In addition, New Zealand exported to Canada 12,251 tons of butter in the year ending 30th June, 1929. In the previous years in the table she did not export any butter to Canada. During the year ending 30th June, 1919, Denmark, as in the previous war years, sent nearly all her butter to Germany, and this accounts for her small showing in that year. These figures show how steadily New Zealand has forged ahead, and she has done this notwithstanding her distance from her market and Denmark's proximity thereto. New Zealand has a great advantage over Denmark, as far as butter-production is concerned, in her climate. In New Zealand cows are grazed outside the year round ; in Denmark they must be housed and their food brought to them for six months of the year. In cheese New Zealand is now the largest supplier to the United Kingdom. Her great competitor is Canada, which country, like Denmark, has a long winter to contend with, during which cows have to be housed and their food brought to them. The following table of imports of cheese into the United Kingdom from Canada and New Zealand respectively shows how the two countries have fared in the contest: —

New Zealand's climate gives her just as great an advantage over Denmark for pig and poultry raising as it does for dairying. The by-products of the dairy industry—skim-milk, buttermilk, and whey —form part of the rations required for the pig and poultry industry. New Zealand does not utilize the by-products of its dairy industry to full advantage ; Denmark does. Every 100 lb. of average cow's milk contains about 13 lb. of dry matter available as food. Less than 30 per cent, of this dry matter is utilized in the making of butter, and 60 per cent, in the making of cheese. The balance is left in the skim-milk, buttermilk, and whey, and is a by-product of the industry available for stock-food. To raise pigs and poultry on an export basis it is necessary to compete with world costs. To do this successfully the requirements are a suitable climate, the best of grazing, dairy by-products and grain at world prices. New Zealand has a better and a more suitable climate than Denmark, better grazing the year round, and the same dairy by-products as Denmark. New Zealand cannot produce grain at world's prices, and, as Denmark is similarly placed, she has to import the grain she requires for stock-foods, which could be done by New Zealand just as cheaply. Seeing that Denmark is New Zealand's main competitor in butter, and will be New Zealand's main competitor in the pig and poultry industries if New Zealand enters these upon an export basis, it is worth taking stock of Danish doings and conditions and comparing them with those that obtain in New Zealand.

Year ending 30th June, Denmark. New Zealand. New Z<^^^J^ O0ntage Tons. Tons. 1905 .. .. .. 82,000 16,000 19-51 1909 .. .. .. 94,000 12,000 12-77 1914 .. .. .. 88,935 16,609 18-68 1919.. .. .. 2,856 18,179 636-52 1924.. .. .. 91,056 51,847 56-94 1929.. .. .. 105,162 64,876 ! 61-69

j, r New Zealand as Year ended 30th June, From Canada. M r/ , , Percentage of ew Zealand. Canada. Tons. Tons 1905 .. .. 92,000 4,000 4-36 1909 .. .. 77,000 15,000 19-48 1914 .. .. 60,673 33,856 55-80 1919 .. .. 48,513 38,347 79-04 1924 .. .. 47,881 71,615 ' 149-57 1929 .. .. 43,863 82,564 188-23