BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1940, Page 3

BRITAIN’S FOOD IMPORTS

CLOSED SOURCES OF SUPPLY. OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW ZEALAND German occupancy of Continental countries has entirely closed up a source of food supply to England representing annually more than £77.000.000. The Home papers are pointing out the great, chance that this has given to British farmers to increase their production. The advice can be applied to New Zealand production. An article in the latest issue to hand of the "Farmer and Stockbreeder,” commenting on the position, says that nobody imagines that Britain can ever make up the whole of the gaps caused, but if farmers could replace only a small proportion of the products which are no longer reaching England there would bo enough to keep every farmer, worker, and machine at top speed. Continental supplies of grain and flour were small —about 4 per cent ot the total imports—but when bacon and dairy produce are considered it is realised how new large sources of supply must be found. Two-thirds of Great Britain's bacon imports came from the Continent and more • than half the poultry imports. Of butter imports 44 per cent came from Europe, and Denmark sent nearly 50 per cent of the imported milk and cream. Swiss supplies of these products and of cheese were presumably no longer available. Fruit and vegetables offer some scope for British holdings, and in this category the country now had to reckon without the Channel Islands potatoes and tomatoes, which represented £3,500,000 a year. In 1938 the value of European imports of fruit and vegetables was nearly £8.500,000 sterling. or about 21 per cent of the total imports. The development of flax growing in England has been one of the noteworthy developments of war-time changeover in cropping. Belgium had hitherto supplied a large proportion of the flax needs, and all Europe sent seven-eighths of England’s requirements. The value in 1938 of the importations from occupied countries was as follows: — £ Grain and flour (including Soviet supplies) 6,836,782 Animal feeding stuffs 601,919 Bacon, ham, poultry, etc. 22,369.293 Dairy 'produce 34,371.472 Fruit and vegetables 8,454,463 Flax and hemp 4,450,343 £77.084,272 The products that concern New Zealand directly may be separated

The figures indicate the scope that should exist- in New Zealand for extending production in most of the foregoing commodities. Peas already provide one striking instance, and production in this country is making some headway towards closing the gap. Bacon provides still greater scope, but results of a necessity have to be slower than in the case of an annual crop like peas. There would even appear to be scope in butter, seeing that 44 per cent of the total imports of 1938 came from countries now under the control of the aggressor and closed. Cheese apparently provides Utile scope in comparison, but it is a moreimportant war need. Milk powder production apparently could be extended without choking the market, and flax provides huge scope. These possibilities should not be ignored when Dominion farmers are planning their production for the war period, and for subsequent years for that matter.

from the mass: — Total Closed Imports. Countries. Peas, cwt 1.897,572 595,098 Bacon, etc, cwt 0,864,467 4,629,233 Butter, cwt 9,508,511 4,027,643 Cheese, cwt 2,928,114 272,280 Milk powder, cwt 355,054 90,182 Flax, tons 40,702 35,590 Hides & skins, cwt 741,658 154,074