The Waikato Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1939 NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE WANTED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20907, 12 September 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1939 NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE WANTED

Concurrently with the upheaval in almost every phase of national life, New Zealand's overseas market prospects have undergone radical change as the result of Britain entering the war. It is not improbable that the surpluses and gluts of recent times will give place to a keen demand for supplies of: Dominion produce, as T*as the case in the last war. Efforts are being made everywhere to prevent undue rises in the prices of commodities, but substantial advances in the value of many classes of produce seem to be inevitable. It is also expected that the markets will be able to absorb everything that New Zealand can produce, providing sufficient shipping tonnage is kept available for its transport. Already the quota recently placed upon imports of meat into the United Kingdom from the Dominion has been lifted, and it is expected that Britain will require all the meat that can be produced. Indeed, New Zealand can make an important contribution to the successful prosecution of the campaign by increasing the production of foodstuffs and other useful commodities to the greatest possible extent. Butter, cheese, meat and wool will all be needed, and New Zealand can produce such goods while Britain produces guns and warships.

Early information is expected from the Government regarding the supply of produce as a result of negotiations that began immediately after the outbreak of war. There may be some changes in the proportions of the various products to meet the requirements of Britain. Por instance, cheese may be preferred to butter, and frozen beef to chilled beef. New Zealand has a surplus of about 1,000,000 carcases of mutton which will be freed by the lifting of the quota, but the problem of providing shipping may present some difficulty, and higher freight rates will be charged. British ships will have many tasks directly connected with the war to perform, and it is not likely that the whole of the surplus mutton will be lifted at once. If the need arises, however, it should be possible to charter sufficient tonnage to ensure the transport of all New Zealand produce.

The Dominion faces the necessity of making all possible labour available to the industries to meet the needs of greater production. Manufacturing as well as primary producing must yield a greater output if the nation is to reach full efficiency. British factories in most cases will be so fully occupied with war industries that New Zealand will have to produce more and more of its own requirements. Not only should all available labour be occupied, but a greater production will be required from each unit of labour. It has already been found necessary in certain emergencies to increase the hours of work to give the required results, and it may be that a more general review of labour conditions to secure the maximum of efficiency and output in the industries will be found necessary by the Government. The farms and factories of New Zealand have an important part to play in the days that lie ahead, and a period of unprecedented activity and effort is expected.