Title: War Economy

Author: Baker, J. V. T.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1965, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

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Bulk Purchases of Farm Products

Markets for meat, butter, cheese and wool were, as far as was possible under war conditions, assured by the bulk purchase arrangements with the United Kingdom.² The United Kingdom was concerned primarily with safeguarding her own supplies of food. She needed all New Zealand could produce of most commodities. Indeed, for much of the war period she was urging New Zealand to step up production.

Over the war years, New Zealand's volume of exports averaged about 1 per cent above the average for the years 1936 to 1938. Under normal conditions this small increase could not have been considered particularly satisfactory. Even allowing for Reverse Lend-Lease supplies, which were not recorded as exports,³ it was disappointing in the years when British foodstuffs were severely rationed. However, the great bulk of New Zealand's exports came from the farms, and reference has already been made to the shortage of labour and the interruption to supplies of fertilisers and other farming requirements which tended to hamper farm production.²

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