The Waikato Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 1937. EXPORT TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20271, 13 August 1937, Page 6

The Waikato Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 1937. EXPORT TRADE.

The Government Statistician has published details relating to exports for the production year that ended on June 30. The figures show that the increase of nearly £11,000,000 in values, when compared with 1935-36, was largely due to price movements, but it is also made clear that production has been maintained at a very high level. Wool is the outstanding item in the matter of increased value. The exports last year were over £6,000,000 above those of the preceding period, and that despite the fact that shipments showed a decline of 72,000 bales. Only two other items showed an advance of over £1,000,000, butter accounting for £1,600,000, due largely to increased shipments of 204,000 cwt., and lamb moved up £1,300,000 in value, with an increase of 296,000 cwt. in volume. Next to these three items came cheese, which showed an increase of £773,000 in value and of 41,000 cwt. in quantity. These four items of export account for nearly £9,750,000 of the total increase. Wool contributed 55 per cent., butter 15, lamb 12 and cheese 7 per cent, of the total, showing the immense importance of these industries to the Dominion. Most of the classes record increased shipments, the most marked reductions being in timber which fell by £146,000, dried milk which was £138,000 lower and mutton which fell by £134,000, and it is possible that these figures were affected by the run of shipping. A single additional cargo prior to June 30 would have made a marked difference. The effect of improved prices overseas is strikingly illustrated in some of the classes. For instance, exports of rabbitskins fell by nearly 3,500,000 in number, but prices were so good that the declared valueg showed an improvement of £120,000. The fact that New Zealand shipped away nearly 14,500,000 rabbit-skins in a single year is evidence that this pest is still widespread. As was expected there was a continued fall in the quantity of frozen beef sent abroad, and another increase in exports of the chilled article, but the figures show that the decline on the one hand was more than double the advance on the other so that graziers must have increased their herds materially during the year. Hides was another item where smaller numbers shipped were more than off-set by improved prices, declared values moving up by about £25,000 although exports fell by 92,000 hides.

The smaller shipments of wool last year can probably be explained by the fact that 1935-36 saw a large quantity which had been held over placed on the market. At the close of 1934-35 the carryover was 186,000 bales. That was reduced to 49,400 bales last year, and it has been estimated that at the end of 1936-37 only 15,200 bales had been carried over to the coming season. The quantity in farmers' sheds on June 30 was not one-third of the total held a year earlier while wool in brokers' stores was reduced by about 50 per cent. There will probably be some shipments before the season opens so that the new clip will teach practically empty floors. With consumption in the manufacturing centres active stocks of the raw material will have been reduced materially and the statistical position will be a strong one. The returns, taken as a whole, provide impressive proof of the productive capacity of the Dominion, and illustrate what a vital part the primary industries play in ensuring the economic stability of the country.