NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1981, 24 May 1919, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCTS.

SOME interesting and instructive information concerning New Zealand products is adduced by the Lyttelton Times. Statistics show that whereas the quantity of wool exported in 1917-18 was the lowest for any year since 189(5, the value was more than double that in 1896, and higher than in any year prior to 191-1. To revert to statistics, the value of the Dominion’* exports in 1913 was £21,98(5,722. The value rose, despite shipping 1 difficulties, to £23,28(5,937 in 191(5, and was less than three millions short of that ligure in 1917, an appreciation in value due entirely to war prices, since the quantities, taken all round, have decreased since 1913. While the value of New Zealand’s exports has thus grown by nearly a third ffiucc 1913, the value of imports has appreciated to a very much smaller extent during the war period, the average over the four years of war being an import value of £22,800,000, as compared with £21,(535,032 in 19.13, certainly less than a normal increase. Further interesting ligures dealing with New Zealand products arc published in Hie annual review of the frozen meat trade, issued by Messrs W. Weddell and Co. The figures illustrate in a very striking manner the important part which the Dominion plays in the feeding of the Cubed Kingdom. In the last 38 years, (Tom 1880 to 3918 inclusive, covering flic whole

history of! tin- frozen meat trade, the I.Jiilod Kingdom Juis imported 235,420,000 tons of frozen mutton and liimli, nearly imlf of which, or lo be more precise, 112,(543,000 lons, cm me from New Zen land, Tiio next tartest exporter was .Soulli America, whose total was 74,528,000 tons. In the supply of frozen Jamb during life last six years the preponderance of New Zealand's quota, is,still more striking! Out of a total of 20,253,000 carcases, New Zealand supplied to the United Kingdom 10,020,000 carcases, or 03.3 per cent, of the total imports. Out (it. 30,444,000 carcases of mutton imported in (he same period, New Zealand contributed 12,821,000 carcases, or 42.1 per cent, of flic total. The handicap imposed on New Zealand by •war-time shipping uiOiculties should be taken into account in considering (lie above figures, for while the normal exportable product of frozen mutton and Jamb in New Zealand in the last six years lias been on the average ahout (i,000,000 carcases, the exports daring 15117 and 4018 were under 3,000,000 carcases in each ease.