kraks vejviser 1933 handelsvejviser

6 in connexion with forestry and plantation activities, in- dustry and trade, in different parts of the world. The opening of the Copenhagen Free Port in 1894 naturally resulted in practically all transit trade moving 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 the establishment of comparatively large business concerns in other Danish ports, so that at present about one half of Denmark’s foreign trade falis 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 following figures: 1616 The fali in prices since 1930 has resulted in some decline in the figures without the ratio between the value of the imports and cxports having materially altered in 1931, not­ withstanding that the index figure for imporls feli 11.8 %, while at the same time the index figure for exports fell 24 %, as compared with 1930. During the first nine montlis of 1932, howevcr, the ratio between imports and exports has allered so that thcre is now practically a balance. The following figures for the year 1951 indicate tlie total values of Danish exports to, and imports from the countries with which Denmark does most trade: Great Britain.......... ... 1034 Argentina ................... Germany ............... ..'. 670 China ......................... Sweden .................. ... 176 Switzerlatfd ............... Miil. Kr. Miil. Kr 1875............. Total imports Mili. Kr. ................. 228 Total exports Miil. Kr. 172 1885............. ................. 249 1895............. ................. 364 1905............. ................. 623 1913............. ................. 855 1930............. ................. 1729 162 269 534 * 721

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 rnuch 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 mgar beet and the important export acticles seeds and malting barley. At the same time agriculture imports a very large quantitv of feeding stuff, fertilizers etc. to a value of in all about 300 million Kroner. The gren ter pari oT the products of agriculture undergo a finishing industrial process in dairies, slaughteries etc. prior to exportation. Since 1870 the value of the annual exports of industrialized .agriculturaJ products from Denmark has increased from about 12 mili. Kroner to nearly 1000 miil. 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 plays for the world market, as far as agricultural pro­ ducts are concerned, 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: 1931 Denmark ............................................................... 30% New Zealand ........................................................ 17% Australia ............................................................... 16% Netherlands ......................... .’............................. 6 % Argentina ................................................................ 4% Ireland ..................................................................... 3% Sweden ................................................................... 3% Other countries ..................................................... 21% Moreover Denmark pr o vide« the world market with more than one half of the total bacon supplies, and about 12 % of the total egg supplies. For purposes of comparison it may be stated that the export valne« of the mocf important. Danish agricultural products in the years 1915 and 1931 were as follows: 1913 Milt Kr. 1931 Mili. Kr. Live animals (exeluding fish) .................... 69 34 Bacon, meat and other slaughterhouse ■' products .... ............................ .............. 185 462 Butter and cheese .................... .................. 200 580 Eggs . ........................................................ . 33 76 Lard, condensed milk and other foodstuffs 7 41 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 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, such 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 fod der 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 of the goods are mainly based upon

33 31 29 26 21 17 16 13 12 11

United States of

Finland ......................

America ............. ... 160 Czecho-Slovakia ........

Norway ................. ... Netherlands .......... Belgium ................ ... France .. ................. ... Russia in Europe . Poland & Danzig. . ...

90 Italy ........................... ... 86 Dutch East Indies.... 74 Brazil ......................... 74 Baltic Border States./ 65' Spain .......................... 59 British North America 10

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 t he 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 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