PRODUCTS OF THE FARM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 22

PRODUCTS OF THE FARM.

INCREASES IN EXPpRT VALUES. , I£ the increases in tho values of exports for the twelvo months ending March 31 aro a fair barometer, farmers _ generally must bo in a prosiierou:; condition just now. For tlio twelve months the values of exports have increased by i£2,975,239, tho only regular farm product _ which shows a decrease being wheat, which has fallen from .£197,623 in 1312 to JC95,414, a drop of <£102,209. This was not unexpected, as the area planted in wheat last year was known to bB smaller than in the previous' year, and :in tho future it may dwindle' still further.' Oats, on the other hand, show an increased value of ,£131,378, which more than makes up for the decrease in wheat. 'The sheep men would appear to havo had very prosperous times. . Wool exports show hn increase of i 1,480,277, mutton an increase of JC3IC,6SG, and lamb .£75,106, whilst tallow and skins have increased- by and .£195,531 respectively. Comparatively speaking, tho beef exports were small, .but nevertheless they show an increased! value 0f,.-£74,274 over the previous year, whilst hides increased bv .£74,900: Tho dairy-farmer has had a largo share of the increases made, butter and cheese exports for tho year being valued at £5,917,862, or 334 mom than at March 31 last-year. Cheeso with .£562,091 shows tlio biggest advance, but tho butter increase of is no small item. The value of the hops exported lias increased by over io-tato-growers have had an unusually good year, principally because of tho strong demand which set in fron Australia when New Zealand was holding a heavy supply d£ last season's tubers. 'Where only .£6439 worth was exported in. 1912, the value of the exports for t'ho year ended with last month was £150,601, or an increase of £144162. The llaxmillers havo also parlicinatcd in the general uplift, the hemp exported being worth £172,669 rnoro than in the previous year, aid tow increasing by £17,710. ;