TRADE WITH EAST

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1931, Page 2

TRADE WITH EAST

MARKETS IN INDIES.

OFFICIAL TO INQUIRE.

NEW ZEALAND PROSPECTS, Following upon the recent announcement by the .Minister of Industries and Commerce that it was intended to .send an official representative of the Doiiimon to the Dutch East Indies lor the purpose of ascertaining the prospects of establishing and devehnng markets ‘.or .sew Zealand’s staple products, the Department Industries and Commerce ins issued a bulletin relative to trade n that part of the world and the prospects of greater participation by local uerchants.

It is pointed out in the I u I let in that die population of the East Indies is approximately 60,060,030 native’s, Chinese and Europeans. Java, Sumatra, Borneo and the hundreds of smaller islands which stretch across the equator ilid make tfp the archipelago constitute me of the richest agricultural legions u the world. The natives are prfinirily small agriculturists or plantation abourers, while tile Chinese are prlnarily mercllalits having practically a monopoly of the wholesale and retail trade of the country.

Imports into the Indies cover a wide ■ango of all classes of goods In which notor-cars, artificial fertilisers, tobacco iml cigarettes, motor-tires, dour am) foodstuffs of various kinds figure prominently. In addition there is a large market for biscuits, chocolates, milk products, meats, fruits and jams. Many of these oods could lie exported from New Zealand. The trade of the •ountry is largely in the hands of the Chinese. 11l none of the native markets vhicli serve the daily needs df the pvnole can a single imported article of food he found. If a native wants n tin of sardines or an apple lie has to go to a Chinese shop before lie wiii even, find it offered for sale.

DAIRY PRODUCE MARKET. The Chinese and the Europeans who administer the country live mainiy on imported foodstuffs. Meat bulks largely in the Chinese and European diet and although much is produced locally a goon deal comes 'from abroad. Frozen meats are already imported from Australia and New Zealand and there is nl<o a market for preserved meats. Dairy products for consumption by the Chinese and Europeans are' practically all imported, as there is no production o! butter or cheese in the Indies and practically no production of milk, itnporis of canned milk are large and there 1s also a deinaiiri fur Condensed milk. At present blitter is imported almost, exclusively fro hi Australia. At tile present time New Zealand's imports from the Dutch East Indies far exceed )mr exports to that quarter. In 1925 the Dominion’s exports were valued at £8,016 and the imports at £610,685. ■ln 1929 exports had risen to 019,191, but imports had reached the large total of £1,152,705. The principal exports are butter, which is the largest item, but which was valued at only £BBOB in 1929, casein, dried and preserved milk and cfearn, cheese, bunker coal and bunker fuel oil. The principal items imported are mineral oils, pariffin wax, sugar, tea and kapok. It is of interest that Australia exported butter valued at £521,253 to the Indies in 1929 and dried milk and cream valued at £208,202.

1 ROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE. It is pointed out by the department that a serious slump lias occurred in almost all agricultural produce in which the native is interested. This condition was certain to reflect itself in his buying power and the consumption for some time to come. “Nevertheless,” the bulletin says, “it is anticipated that this condition is only temporary, and despite low prices for the expnr; commodities c'f the Nethcrland East Indies. and a consequent general reduction in purchasing power, the information available points to the assumption that there are fairly reasonable prospects for the development of our expor: trade in that direction, provided that exporters pay careful atltenuon to the particular requirements of the market. “With nil increase in the purciiastug power of the native—and such an increase is inevitable with improved methods of cultivation and a return to normal prices for agricultural produce—the trade of the Dutch East Indies must continue to grow, and New Zealand may reasonably be expected to increase her share. Further and more detailed information obtained first-hand by a representative will, it is anticipated, bear out this assumption.”