THE DEMAND FOR EMPIRE BUTTER. 
I.—INTRODUCTION. 
Import of Buiter. 
The import of butter into the United Kingdom in 1929 was about 
64 million cwts. ; according to the last official estimate in 1925, 
home production was about 850 thousand cwts. 
The chief sources of imports in 1929 were as follows :— 
New Zealand . 20 per cent. 
Australia .. .e . 27 a 
Irish Free State .. “a 
Other Empire .. 
Total Empire Countries 
Denmark .. i” 
Other European .. 
Argentina .. 
Total Foreign Countries 
49 
58 
34 per cent. 
J, 
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The most notable development of the import trade during this 
century has been the rapid growth in the quantities arriving from 
New Zealand. Supplies from Australia have also increased con- 
siderably. Canada on the other hand has practically ceased to export 
butter to this country. South Africa has lately begun to export 
small quantities, about 12 thousand cwts. being received in 1929. 
The total import of butter in 1929 was nearly 2} million cwts. 
above the average for the years 1909-13 ; over three-quarters of this 
rise was accounted for by Empire butters, and nearly half by imports 
from New Zealand. 
__ The seasonal nature of the trade with oversea Empire countries is 
illustrated in Figure II, which shows the average monthly imports of 
butter for the five years 1925-29. 
In 1929, 74 per cent. of the import of butter from the Irish Free 
State arrived in the five months June-October, whereas in these 
months 17 per cent. of the New Zealand and Australian imports were 
3097) 
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