VOl.

4 Commonwealth contributions to the British diet 63

Conclusion
The future of production in New Zealand is bright. Food production will increase
steadily, and, provided seasons remain temperate, shipping facilities and standards
improve, and refrigeration store space is available in Britain, the targets aimed at in
New Zealand will be possible of attainment.
Mush depends, too, on the improvement of marginal land and the continuous supply
of superphosphate. The Kew Zealand farmer is a sane and well-informed member of
the community, willing to pull his weight whenever difficult situations occur. He is
backed by useful agricultural colleges and a live Agriculture Department, and the sale
of produce is organized by representative bodies, the Meat Board and Dairy Commis-
sion. This has led to a stable primary industry.

REFEREXCES
Board of Trade (1949).Annual Statement, 1947, Compared with the Years 1943-1946, Trade of the
United Kingdom, with British Countries and Foreign Countries. London: H.M. Stationery Office.
Customs and Excise (1949). Accounts Relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom. London:
H.M. Stationery Office.

South Africa’s Contribution to the British Diet

By A. P. VAN DER POST(Senior Trade Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in
the United Kingdom), South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London, W.C. 2

The Union of South Africa can make only a limited contribution to the food require-
ments of the United Kingdom and that to a large extent only of luxury or semi-luxury
articles of food. T o appreciate the reason for this it is well briefly to examine the geo-
physical background of South African farming.

Physical features of South Africa

General climatic conditions. The Union, including South West Africa, together \vith
the three Protectorates of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland, occupies an area of
1,100,ooosquare miles. This vast expanse can be divided into two main geographical
areas, a coastal belt and an interior plateau, or rather series of plateaux, separated by an
escarpment over 2000 miles long which begins in the west as a low ridge in South
West Africa, gradually increases in stature towards the south and ends in the majestic
Quathlamba Mountains or Drakensberge, in the north-north-east, in Basutoland and
beyond along the border of Portuguese East Africa. I n expanse the interior plateaux by
far exceed the long but narrow coastal belt. Climatically the coastal belt can be sub-
divided into three main regions, a hot desert region in South West Africa and northern
Cape Province, a ‘Mediterranean’ region in the so-called western Cape Province and
south-western districts round Cape Town and a warm temperate region from roughly
the border districts above East London, through the native territories of the Transkei
and East Griqualand, Natal and Zululand to the Mozambique border.
 64 CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS 1950
Similarly, the interior plateaux can be subdivided into three climatic regions-a hot
desert region in the west, a temperate continental region in the middle and east and a
small tropical region in the north.
Hot desert region. Each of these six natural regions-three in the coastal belt and
three in the interior plateaux+an be further subdivided into agricultural areas, but
for the purpose of this paper these need not be considered in detail. Briefly it may be
said that the two hot desert regions are contiguous and together form the biggest and
poorest geo-agricultural area of the Union, suitable only for a very extensive pastoral
industry and a very minor agricultural industry proper under irrigation. It is in this
area of the Union that the South Africa-Persian-lambskin farming is centred.
Temperate continental region. Next in size to the hot desert region is the temperate
continental region covering the Upper Karroo in the central and northern Cape
Province, the whole of the Orange Free State and about three-quarters of the ‘l’rans-
vaal. I n the southern part this region, too, is an extensive pastoral area, but suited to
a better type of sheep, the merino, and even in parts to some cattle farming, and some
cultivation under irrigation. T h e central and northern parts form comparatively good
mixed farming areas, the principal crop of which is maize, with sunflower-seed, wheat,
small grains and lucerne (under irrigation) and, of late, even groundnuts as secondary
crops. Merino sheep do well and dairy cattle and pigs are kept, particularly in the
north-eastern and northern parts. In the north-western parts tobacco and citrus fruits
are important crops alongside maize.
Warm temperate region. T h e warm temperate region on the east side of the Drakens-
berge contains the principal so-called native territories, or reserves, in which the
European is not permitted to settle. These reserves contain some of the most valuable
agricultural land in the Union, but are the least productive parts of the country because
I
of the primitive agricultural practices of the natives, which the Government, however,
is doing its best to improve. Surrounding these territories European farmers, by
contrast, are making good use of the valuable agricultural possibilities. I n the north,
in Zululand, the Union has some 400,000 acres under sugar-cane; to the west of this
area, wattle-bark culture, maize production, dairy farming, woolled-sheep farming
and in parts tobacco culture and citriculture flourish. Towards the south in the Cape
Province, woolled-sheep farming, beef and dairy farming and maize cultivation, and
in the most southern part citriculture, and even in parts tobacco, yield excellent
returns.
‘ Mediterranean ’ region. T h e ‘Mediterranean’ region in the southern Cape Province,
in effect from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, provides the greatest variety of agri-
cultural enterprises. It contains the Union’s two most important wheat-producing
areas side by side with the rich deciduous-fruit producing and viticultural districts. I t
corresponds to the Mediterranean region of Europe and is similarly characterized by
small farms, specializing in delectable summer fruits, wines and in some cases dairy
produce and vegetables-it is the garden of South Africa.
Tropical region. One region remains to be considered briefly, the tropical region at
the opposite end of the map to the ‘Mediterranean’ region. It is a region, in the north,
of extensive cattle ranching, but to the south-east along the border of Mozambique, one
VOl. 4 Commonwealth contributions to the British diet 65
of subtropical fruits and vegetables from which in winter the rest of South Africa is
supplied with fresh vegetables.
Rainfall. The foregoing brief and inadequate description of the Union’s agriculture
in relation to its geo-physical features does not fully emphasize, as should be done, the
country’s great variety of climate and its subjection to great vicissitudes of nature. The
Union is not a naturally rich agricultural country and is even to-day, and will always be,
dependent for its bread, for example, upon the importation of a substantial quantity of
wheat. This fact is largely explained by the absence of sufficiently frequent and heavy
falls of snow to cover the ground for even a few days and the-largely consequent-lack
of permanent rivers. The rainy season in the northern coastal belt and in the interior
plateaux is the summer months, October to March, but the rains usually fall in heavy
showers accompanied by thunderstorms. These showers as a rule last for only a short
part of an hour with the inevitable result that most of the rain-water is lost as run-off
water and but a small fraction is absorbed by the soil. The Government has tried
partially to mitigate this great drawback by the construction of numerous irrigation
schemes of varying size, but irrigation schemes under South African conditions are
expensive ventures, and the reservoirs are subject to silting-up since they obtain their
supplies from soil-laden run-off water and not from clear streams, Nevertheless, some
of these schemes support important agricultural enterprises, lucerne cultivation coupled
with dairy farming in some cases, citrus-fruit production in others. The country is also
subject to severe and often-recurring drought, lasting sometimes 8 or more months
and even up to 2 years.

Food production
It may be objected that what has been said thus far does not answer the main question
which we have been asked to answer to-day, namely, what contribution the Union of
South Africa can make to the British diet. That superficially is the case-so far I have
not indicated what foodstuffs the Union can supply and what foodstuffs it cannot offer
to the British housewife; but what has been said will help to answer any questions, as
to why or why not, which may emerge from what is to follow on food production in
the Union.
Mutton. The Union, it should be evident from the foregoing, is for the greater part
a pastoral country under a system of very extensive pastoralism. Its most important
farming product is fine merino wool-merino be it noted-sheep skins and also cattle
hides; other important animal products are mohair, goat skins, and Persian lambskins.
Only a very small portion of these products is retained in the Union, the greater part
being exported. Merino wool is the Union’s principal export commodity of farming,
having yielded in 1948 over ~30,000,000 of income to farmers.
We emphasize the word merino, because the merino sheep provides the bulk of the
Union’s mutton, but mutton which is not suitable for export. The British types of
sheep, all mutton, are hardly to be found in the country, which, but for very limited
areas, is climatically not suited to them. Before the second great war the Union did
export a small-relatively to British requirements negligible-quantity of lamb. To-day
even that small quantity is required within the Union because of the heavy decline in
NIV I 5
66 CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS 1950
numbers of merino sheep as a result of recurrent severe droughts. Mutton and lamb,
therefore, the Union cannot supply.
Beef. This, too, the Union unfortunately cannot ship. I n the thirties, it did export to
the United Kingdom about 40,000 quarters annually, but that quantity was negligible
in relation to British requirements and it is doubtful whether that small export trade
will ever again be resumed. The Union is not a natural beef-producing country-it
lacks the natural vegetation, such as the Argentine pampas enjoy, upon which beef
cattle can be fattened. Some excellent beef cattle are to be found in South Africa, but
they have in the main to be fattened on maize and lucerne and are hardly sufficient in
number to meet the local demand for first-grade beef. The greater part of the country
can support only a type of cattle which is greatly inferior-as a beef-producer-to the
beef type proper, and for several years before slaughter is used as a draft-animal.
Dairy produce. It would seem obvious from what has been said so far about the
country’s climate that butter and cheese also are not available for supply to the United
Kingdom. Before the war, the Union did ship annually about 6000 tons butter and some
cheese, but these were produced under relatively very extensive conditions of farming.
Although the butter-to confine my remarks to butter-was of good quality it could
not compare with, for example, the New Zealand product and ranked below the
Australian. This was due not to lack of efficiency on the part of the creameries, but to
extensive conditions which permitted the cream to be collected only once or twice
weekly. Top-grade butter, produced under, say, ideal conditions is not sufficient to
supply all the Union’s requirements, which have, therefore, partly to be met from butter
produced under the conditions described, quite suitable for the table, but not of the
same high quality as New Zealand butter. Owing both to the ravages of drought and to
increased local demand, the Union no longer has a surplus for export-in fact has taken
to the productionof margarine to supply the increasing wants of the lower-income groups.
Cereals. The union is an importer of wheat, but before the war used to be an exporter
of maize, of which it shipped considerable quantities to the United Kingdom. Ground
maize, or Indian corn, generally called mielies (mealies) in South Africa, makes a very
popular porridge and forms the staple diet of the natives. Maize and meal shipped to
Britain were used mainly in industry (e.g. the starch mills) and as animal feed. It is not
seen on the British breakfast table except as ‘corn flakes’. For the past 8 years approxi-
mately the Union has not shipped any mealies to Britain, partly because of a great
increase in local demand, partly because of poor crops as a result of drought. The Union
Department of Agriculture is investigating the suitability of hybrid maize for production
in the Union. Farmers have not yet taken to hybrid maize, but in view of its great
success in the United States, there would appear to be no reason why ultimately it
should not also be in general use in the Union. When that day arrives, the Union is
bound again to have a big surplus available for export.

Foods available for export

So far the picture has been a dismal one-broadly speaking the Enion cannot supply
the United Kingdom with most of the basic articles of diet. But let us now turn from
this negative side to the positive side of the food-ledger.
Vol. 4 Commonwealth contributions to the British diet 67
T o begin with, the Union has less maize to export partly because it is using maize
more and more as an animal foodstuff, with the result that it has again begun to ship
eggs and pork products to the British market.
Eggs. Before the war, the Union sold annually about ~~o,ooo-~oo,ooo cases, i.e.
4.j-6 million dozen eggs, to this country. That is not a very big quantity relatively to
British requirements, but the eggs arrived on the market over a period of 3-4 months,
namely late September to December, when supplies from other sources were scarce. As
their quality, owing to an efficient inspection service in the Union, was of a high
standard, they found a ready sale. After a small beginning during the past 3 years, the
Union hopes soon again to be a regular supplier of eggs of the same high quality and in
at least the same quantity as in prewar years.
Pork. Before the war the Union was never a heavy shipper of pork and pork products,
and how regularly and in what quantity it will be able to ship these products in future it
is difficult to say. Much will depend upon the availability of maize for feeding the pigs,
and that in turn will be determined by climatic conditions. Nevertheless, during the
latter half of 1949some xo,ooobacon carcasses, both cured and uncured, were shipped
to the British Ministry of Food, and on the whole seem to have created a favourable
impression. Sample carcasses of porkers and larders were also supplied for testing to
the Ministry of Food, whose reports, however, are not yet available. Subject to agree-
ment on price being reached and to the vicissitudes of the South African climate,
there would appear to be no reason why the Union should not become a regular
supplier of all four types of pork products mentioned and, in addition, of pork
sausages.
Whale oil. Another very important commodity which the Union supplies in sub-
stantial quantity is whale oil. Before the war the Union had two factory ships operating
during the Antarctic whaling season; both were sunk early in the war and only one has
been replaced, but that by one of the most up-to-date German factory ships that fell
into allied hands. This ship has been operating regularly in the Antarctic since the post-
war resumption of whaling. The company that operates this factory ship also conducts
some whaling from a land station at Durban. There is also some whaling on a limited
scale on the west coast. South Africa’s own needs are met from the supplies obtained
from these sources, but the bulk of the oil is supplied to the British Ministry of Food.
In 1949, 22,320 tons were so supplied.
Fish-liver oils. The Union is a source also of fish-liver oils. The production of these
oils on a large scale is almost a new postwar industry, greatly stimulated by the passing
of the Fish Industry Development Act, no. 4, of 1944. The quantity of vitamin A in
the shape of fish-liver oil which the Union industry can supply has been steadily in-
creasing during the past 5 years and as much as 8 million million i.u. have been shipped
in a year, but the Union could supply much more fish-liver oil, both unrefined and
refined, if the encouragement of demand were there. Supplies from other sources,
however, are plentiful and competition is keen, so that comparatively low price is the
determining factor of sale. Union producers, however, are confident of their ability to
meet this competition.
Cunnedjsh. The seas round the Union’s coasts abound in a great variety of fish and
5-2
68 PROCEEDINGS
CONFERENCE ‘950
are a rich, as yet inadequately exploited, source of food. ‘rhe supplies have begun to
exceed local demand and factories have been established to can surplus fish. During the
past 4 years some of this canned fish has been shipped to the United Kingdom, al-
though, owing to an initial mistake by some canners when first the fish was admitted on
trial under open general licence, the fish, particularly snoek, acquired an undeservedly
bad name. Some of this fish, e.g. snoek, though admittedly not suitable to replace
salmon, forms (at least as judged by a South African) a possible alternative. Ff’ith
greater experience lJnion canners should be able to produce satisfactory types of canned
fish in suitable variety and quantity for the British market, but that market is limited
by the big supply of local fresh fish. ‘The future of canned-fish exports from the Union
seems to be in the supply of pilchards which are plentiful during their season and have
already been satisfactorily canned.
Sugar. Another very important product which the Union can supply in fair qcantity
is sugar. Unfortunately the area in which it is produced is subject to drought and,
therefore, the production, and consequently the exportable surplus, is a very variable
quantity. Under the International Sugar Agreement of 1937 the Union was granted
a so-called guaranteed quota of 200,000 tons/year in the British market. During the
first 3 years of the agreement, the Union was able to ship more than this quantity, but
thereafter its surplus gradually declined to 154,420long tons on the average for the
years 1936-44. Several reasons, e.g. drought, increased local consumption, diversion of
sugar to the manufacture of increased quantities of fruit preserves for Britain in war-
time and supply of convoys, account for this decline, but available surplus is again on the
up-grade and the Union’s industry may be expected within another 3 or 4 years again
to have available for export a surplus quantity equal to at least its present international
quota of 200,000 tons.
Fruit. From the foregoing consideration of more or less essential foodstuffs, we may
now pass to a brief review of the supplies of less essential, but in some cases highly
desirable, foodstuffs which the Union can supply in substantial quantity. These are
mainly fruit and fruit products.
‘There are first the deciduous, or summer, fruits during the British winter and early
spring months, when other fresh fruit is scarce. From November to June the Union
can ship considerable quantities of apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears, grapes and
pine-apples. In 1948-9, 4,606,j 3 0 cases, in all, of these fruits were supplied to Britain,
grapes heading the list with 3 , 2 1 3 , 1 0 1 boxes of 10lb. each. Although these quantities
far exceed prewar shipments, they can be increased still further. The Union can also
during the December season supply a fair quantity of pine-apples.
As important to the Union as deciduous fruit is citrus fruit, which normally is
shipped to the United Kingdom from late April to late Xovember, in other words
during a period when comparatively little citrus fruit from other sources is available.
T h e bulk of the fruit comprises oranges (2,289,682 cases in 1949 as compared with
3,871,543cases in 1939),but in addition grape-fruit (439,542 cases in 1949), lemons and
tangerines are supplied. A4rrivingin the United Kingdom mainly during the British
spring and summer months, these fruits appear to serve a very useful purpose either as
fresh fruit or natural citrus juice. Although supplies to the United Kingdom in 1949
VOl. 4 Commonwealth contributions to the British diet 69
were much lower than in 1939,the decline would not appear to be permanent; it is
partly explained by heavy sales to the Continent.
The Union can supply processed fruit-jam, marmalade, canned fruit, dried fruit,
fruit pulp and fruit juices-in substantial quantities. With some, e.g. dried fruit and
fruit juices, the price obtainable militates against their sale in this market.
Other commodities. The Union can further supply a variety of other commodities
in greater or smaller quantity. Substantial quantities of wines and brandy can be
shipped and a number of minor products, such as tomato puree, chutney, jelly, at times
pulses, and a newcomer, agar, are available, to mention only a few at random.

T o summarize, although the Union cannot hope to equal the record of certain other
countries in the supply of large quantities of basic foodstuffs to the United Kingdom, it
nevertheless can make a substantial contribution, partly in basic, partly in semi-
luxury, foodstuffs to give variety to the British diet.

Recent Trends in the Sugar Industry of the British West Indies

By L. F. WIGGINS, British West Indies Sugar Research Scheme,
Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad

The British Caribbean area is here regarded as consisting of Jamaica, Trinidad and
Tobago, Barbados, the Leeward and Windward Islands, British Guiana and British
Honduras. Although this area contributes to the British diet in many ways, for
example by its exports of bananas, cocoa, citrus fruits, coconuts and, more recently, of
tinned fruit juices and tomatoes, its chief contribution is sugar; no small quantity of
rum obtained by the fermentation of molasses is also sent from the West Indies.
The value to this country of the sugar production of the West Indies and other
Commonwealth countries and colonies has recently been brought home to us by the
diminution in our sugar ration owing to our inability to buy very much sugar from
dollar countries such as Cuba. Of the total sugar intake of this country in 1948,
namely, 2,086,576tons, hard currency areas contributed 1,083,121tons. It will there-
fore be to our advantage at this time of economic difficulty to increase our empire
production of sugar so far as agreements with United States territories permit.
The value of sugar in nutrition has recently been emphasized by work carried out in
America under the aegis of the Sugar Research Foundation (1949). For instance, Mack
(1948)found, after large-scale experiments, that children given extra calories in the
form of sugar attained a better skeletal development and general physique than others
not so treated. Sugar grown either as beet or cane is certainly the most efficient food
crop, giving rise to more calories/acre than any other.

Possible measures to increase productivity of the West Indies

The British West Indies has been described, doubtless truly, as the depressed area of
the British Empire, and the people certainly deserve whatever help can be given to
improve their prosperity. Since they depend, in some cases entirely, on sugar for their