Kraks Vejviser 1932 Handelsregister

6 via Copenhagen. Numerous important commercial firms and joint stock companies have their headquarters at Copenhagen, although the construction and extension of provincial ports has given rise to thé establishment of comparatively large business concerns in other Danish ports, so that at present about one half of Denmark’s foreign trade fails on Copenhagen and the other half on Danish provincial ports. The development of Denmark’s foreign trade during the last fifty years appears from the foliowing figures:

large quantity of feeding stuff, fertilizers etc. to a value of in all 3—400 million Kroner. The greater part of the products of agriculture undergo a fimshing industriai prooess in dairies, slaughteries etc. prior to exportation. Since 1870 the value of the annual exports of industrialized agricultural products from Denmark has increased from about 12 miil. Kroner to over 1000 mill. Kroner. The faet that, notwithstanding this, the agricultural population dur­ ing the whole of this period has remained practically the same,..bears witness to the great technical progress which has taken place. How important a part this small coun­ try plavs for the world market, as far as agricultural pro­ ducts are ooncerned, will be seen from the appended fi­ gures showing that Denmark with a share of about one third, is the principal supplier of butter on the world market: 1930 Denmark ........................................................ 31 % New Zealand..................................................... 17 % Australia ........................................................ 10.5 % Netherlands ................................................. 8 % Ireland ........................................................... 3 % Sweden ........................................................ 5 % Argentina ........................................................ 4 % Other countries .............................................. 19.5 % Moreover Denmark provides the world market with more than one half of the total bacon supplies, and about 10% of the total egg supplies. For purposes of comparison it may be stated.that the export values of the most important Danish agricultural products in the years 1915 and 1930 were as follows: 1913 1930 Mili. Kr. Miil. Kr. Live animals (exeluding fish) ............... 69 59 Bacon, meat and other slaughterhouse products .......................................... 185 549 Butter, cream, milk and cheese............... 223 458 Eggs ...................................................... 35 82 Lard, condensed milk and other foodstuffs 7 45 Seeds, and seeds for sowing ................... 7 10 The importance of Danish agriculture for the national economy of the country is that by the exportation of these products Denmark is enabled to procure the great­ er part of the numerous and very important raw materi­ als and goods which the country is unable to produce it- self, sucli as coal, iron, Chemicals, weaving materials etc. It must not be overlooked that the export value of the agricultural products covers also essential parts emanating from Danish industry, for instance fodder cake, fertili­ zers, machinery and implements, electric lighting and power plant, packing and means of transportation etc., as well as the finishing processes at dairies, slaughteries, conserves factories, sugar refineries, breweries etc. Agriculture in Denmark is carried on by a large number of independent concerns comprising about 2100 large estates, 88,000 farms and some 125,000 small holdings. The production and sale «f the goods are mainly based upon a oo-operative arrangement, and the joint purchasing societies likewise play a prominent part in this respect. Connected with this principal industry there is a large number of research institutions, laboratories, controlling bodies etc. undertaking scientific experiments for the im- provement of the soil, new methods of cultivation, control of seed, investigation of plant diseases, heredity research, milk yielding etc. etc. and in addition there is also a large number of special technical schools.

Total exports Mili. Kr. 172

Total imports Mili. Kr.

............ 228

1875......................

162 269 534 721

1885...................... ......... 249

1895......................

1905...................... ......... 623 1913...................... ......... 855 1950...................... ......... 1729

1616 foliowing figures for the year 1930 indicate the total values of Danish exports to, and imports from the countries with which Denmark does most trade:

Mill. Kr. ... 1202 China .................... Mill. Kr. .. 38 005 Switzerland .......... .. 29 F in land ..................... 36

Great B ritain ....... Germanv ............ ... 853

Sweden .............. United States of

Czecho-Slovakia ..... 24 America .......... ... 208 Dutch East Indies ,. 23 Norway .............. ... 118 Baltic Border States,. . 21 Netherlands ........ ... 87 Ttaly ...................... France ................. ... 86 Brazil .................... .. 17 Belgium ............. Argentina ............. 16 Poland & Danzig .. 60 Roumania .............. 15 Russia in Europe . ... 55 The total population of Denmark is about 3,550,000, some 770,000 of whom live in the Capital Copenhagen, on the island of Zealand, and a similar number in the 88 market towns. Agriculture in Denmark. About 75 % of the total land area of Denmark is under cultivation, and some 8.5 % is covered with forests and plantations. During the period from 1866 to 1929 the cul- tivated acreage has been incrased by 440,000 hectares and the woodland acreage by 190,000 hectares. It follows from what has been stated above touching the natural conditions of the country, that agriculture should become the leading industry in the modern trade development, or what may be termed the industrial revo­ lution in Denmarik. The decisive change took place in the period between 1870 and 1890 when, as a consequence of the prices on the world markét (grain supplies from oversea countries) developing in their disfavour, the Danish farmers, who had hitherto mainly cultivated grain, now promptly and with unique adaptitude took up the intensive production of raw materials for the food indu- stry with a view to extensive exportation. Since the year 1880 the harvest yield in Denmark has doubled, and during the same period the number of head of horned cattle has likewise doubled. There are now ten times as many pigs and six times as much poultry as in the year 1880. It may be reckoned that about 90 % of the crops of grain, grass and turnips, serves as fodder for the livestock. The remaining 10% covers the cultivation of sugar beet and the important export acticles seeds and malt barley. At the same time agriculture imports a very