GERMAN DAIRYING.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1938, Page 2

GERMAN DAIRYING.

CONSUMPTION OF BUTTER INCREASED TRADE WITH NEW ZEALAND Since the trade and payments agreement between Germany and New Zealand became operative in October of last year, German imports of New Zealand butter have totalled 1430 tons valued at approximately £160,000 sterling. Attention is drawn to these figures in the latest news bulletin of the Department of Industries and Commerce, which states that Germany ranks second after the United States of America as a producing and consuming country for milk and milk products.

United States’ production of butter in 1936, it is stated, totalled 1,020,000 tons, as against Germany’s 460,000 tons. Cheese produced in the United States during the same year totalled 266,000 tons, as against Germany’s 135,000 tons, and preserved milk, 1,105,000 tons, against 72,000 tons.

Notwithstanding her high production, Germany also ranks as the second largest importer of butter and cheese pride of place being taken by Great Britain. With the high annual per capital consumption of 17.41 b of butter and 5.31 b of cheese, and a growing population, at present in excess of 67,000,000, the German authorities, in face of a shortage of funds, have had to limit imports. As an alternative, considerable attention has been paid to the rationalisation of local industry with a view to organisation on the most efficient basis for production and distribution.

Under this control' scheme, the milk yield in Germany was increased from 23,500 million kilograms in 1932 to only 23,800 million kilograms in 1936. Butter production increased during the same period, however, from 415,000 tons in 1932 to 460,000 tons in 1936, and rennet cheese production from 118,000 tons to 135,000 tons. The production of other milk products also increased during the same four years. Of far greater interest to exporting countries, however, is the fact that German butter consumption increased by 50,000 tons during the same four years. The quantity of butter imported also increased from 70,000 tons in 1932 to 75,000 tons in 1936. The quantity of cheese consumed, on the other hand, was 1000 tons lower, the quantity imported showing a reduction of 18,000 tons.

The rise of 10 per cent in German consumption of butter is in conformity with increases in other countries during the past few years, but the bulletin points out that there has been a concurrent decline in the production of margarine. Whether under the present four-year plan of economic selfsufficiency, Germany will endeavour to restrict her imports remains to be seen. During the first seven months of last year German imports of butter totalled 43,t61 tons, and cheese 18,478 tons.