Kraks Vejviser 1935 Handelsregister

8 The development of Denmark’s foreign trade during the last fifty years appears from the following figures:

technical progress which has taken place. How important a part this small country plays for the world market, as far as agricultural products are concerned, will be seen from the appended figures showing that Denmark with a share of about one third, is the principal supplier of butter on the world market: 1933 Denmark .................................... 28 % New Zealand ............................. 25 % Australia ...................... '............... 18 % Netherlands ................................ 5 % Ireland ....................................... 4 % Argentina ............... .’................ : 5 % Sweden ....................................... 5 % Other countries .......................... 14 % Moreover Denmark provides the world market with more than one half of the total bacon supplies, and about 21 % 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 1955 were as follows: 1913 Mill. Kr. 1933 Mill. Kr. Live animals (exeluding fish) ............... 69 19 Bacon, meat and other slaughterhouse- products .......................................... 185 471 Butter and clieese ................................ 200 287 Eggs ..................................................... 79 Lard, condensed milk and other food- stuffs ........................................... 7 42 Seeds for sowing ................................ 4 7 The importance of Danish agriculture for the national economy of the country is that by the exportation of these products Denmarks is enable to procure the greater part of the numerous and very important raw materials and goods which the country is unable to produce itself, such as coal. iron, Chemicals, weaving materials etc. Tt must not be overlooked that the export value of tlie agri­ cultural products covers also essential parts emanating from Danish industry, for instance fodder cake, fertili­ zers, machinery and implements, electric ligliting 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 of the goods are mainly based upon a co-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. The Danish agricultural products _ The national marks see page 25. Danish Industries. As already mentioned, the industrial development in Denmark commenced later than that of agriculture, but on the other hånd it has taken place more rapidly. The industrial expansion is clearly shown by the faet that the industrial population, i. e. the total number of persons dependent upon industry and handicrafts, has increased by 85 per cent. since 1880. Industry and han-

Total imports Mili. Kr.

Total exports Miil. Kr. 162

18S5 ............

............... 249

1895 ............ ............... 564 1905 ............ ............... 625

269 554 721

1915............

1955 ............ ............... 1266 1215 The total quantity of goods imported in 1955 amounted to 10,2 miil. tons, and the total exports during the same year amounted to 1.8 miil. tons. The average value of these exports was 5.5 times higher than that of the imports, which is accounted for by Denmark importing crude heavy raw materials in considerable quantities and exporting agricultural products on a large scale. The following figures for the year 1955 indicate the total values of Danish exports to, and imports from the countries with which Denmark does most trade:

Mill. Kr. .. 1158

Mill.

Kr. 54 27 22 21 20 20 18 17 16 11

Poland & Danzig ..

Great Britain........ Sweden ............... United States of America ............ Belgium ............... Netherlands ........ Norway ............... Russia in Europe.. France ............... China ................

Germany ............ .. 445 Finland ................... 147 Argentina ...............

84 Italy ...................... Czecho-Slovakia ... . 69 Switzerland ............ 65 Roumania ............... Dutch East Indies .. 52 Brazil ...................... 50 Britisk North America 11 Spain ......................

Agriculture in Denmark. About 78 % of the total land area of Denmark is under cultivation, and some 8.7 % is covered with forests and plantations. During the period from 1866 to 1929 the cul- tivated acreage has been increased 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 Denmark. The decisive change took place in the period between 1870 and 1890 when, as a consequence of the prices on the world market (grain supplies from oversea countries) developing in their disfavour, the Danish farmers, who had hitherto mainly cultivated grain, now promptly and with unique adaptitnde 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 more than doubled. There are now six times as many pigs and more than six times as much poultry as in the year 1880. It may be reckoned that the 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 articles seeds and malting barley. At the same time agriculture imports a very large quantity of feeding stuff, fertilizers etc. to a value of 200—500 million Kroner. The greater part of the products of agriculture undergo a finishing in­ dustriar process in daries, slaughteries étc. prior to ex­ portation. Since 1870 the value of the annual exports of industrialized agricultural products from Denmark has increased from about 12 mili. Kroner to nearly 900 mili. Kroner. The faet that, notwithstanding this, the agri­ cultural population during the whole of this period has remained practically the same, bears witness to the great