CANADIAN PRODUCE LOSING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 7

CANADIAN PRODUCE LOSING.

LESSON FROM NEW ZEALAND. BETTER OIETHODS NEEDED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) VANCOUVER, November 23.

Occasional dispatches from Vancouver have delineated briefly the growing concern felt in Canada owing to the dairying interests of the Dominion, nota>bly those engaged in the business in Ontario, experiencing a series of disagreeable setbacks overseas when marketing their products, and experts have combined in an effort to persuade the butter and cheese producers of the Dominion to organise to improve their dairying methods or otherwhise they will be left hopelessly in the rear in securing their share of the world's dairying business.

Commissioners from Canada have been hurriedly dispatched to the British Isles to investigate the cause of Canada's defection from a leading position in the butter and cheese markets of Britain, and now the Canadian farmers have been further urged to arouse themselves in the battle for trade through the impressions gathered in England by the Hon. Duncan Marshall. Commissioner for Agriculture for Canada, who was known throughout Canada as a most successful cattle raiser, breeder of high-class horses and general agriculturist in the .Province of Alberta. Through his expert knowledge of farming, and dairying in particular, 'he was urged -to enter the field of politics as one of Canada's most practical men in that sphere of endeavour and ever since his advent to the legislative chambers of hie country he has proved himself admiTaJbly fitted to fill the onerous position of advising the nation on matters agricultural.

Aβ a consequence, liie opinion on the attitude af British interests to the dairying produce of Canada, has a valuable position in the consideration of the Dominion's vigorous efforts to regain some kind af supremacy in the dairying markets of Europe.

Commissioner Marshall freely admits that New Zealand has forged ahead in the matter of producing the very highest claes of Ibutter and cheese, and has tremendously affected the exportation otf those goods from Canada. He is convinced that Canadians will have to greatly improve their methods in the dairying industry or their production will lose furfcheT favour on the British market, for he considers the business will never be regained until the Dominion has 'learned a noteworthy lesson from New Zealand methods and endeavoured to emulate the exacting technicalities pursued Iby New Zealanders in succeeding in turning out dairying produce of the quality unapproachable.

In the course of his interesting statement, Hon. Duncan Marshall says: "Canadians eheeseimakers will have to look to their laurels or New Zealand will orowd them to second place, was, in substance, the statement made to mc iby several produce merchants on 'Tooley Street, London. Incidentally, the 'three tailors of Tooley Street' seem to have taken 'their departure, and their places have !been taken by merchants who deall in Gutter, eggs, bacon, cheese, and other lrke products. When the three tailors issued their famous proclamation beginning, 'We, the people of England,' is became a national joke, but a similar proclamation from these new inhabitants of this historic spot to the people of Canada would not be so wide of the mark. To the Canadian producer of the articles named they represent the consuming ptfblio of London, and, to come extent, all England, and if we are to eecurc and hold their market we must heed their 'proclamation.' BUTTER IS INFERIOR.

"When we asked about butter we heard, in no uncertain terms, aibout the inferiority of the Canadian product. Bath New Zealand and Australia were rated sway ahead of us. Danish butter i« more or less in a class 'by itee'lf, but in reject to butter from the colonies •Wβ are rated 'last. Australian Tjutter has only come on the British market, in any quantities, quite recently, yet it has easily passed the Canadian. It was gratifying, however, to hear that an y butter that had come from Western Canada was superior to the Eastern Canadian article, and that some really good stuff had come from the prairie provinces.

"Upon inquiry we were informed that nearly everything was -wrong with the general run from Canada. In the iirst place the butter comes mostly from Montreal dealers, in plain, unmarked boxes, not attractively packed. It goes on the market as a soTt of nameless, homeless product with no definite place of origin, except the general statement that it is Canadian 'butter, an article that has not yet made a reputation for i tee If by any means. Wu were shown iboxea of Australian and New Zealand butter, each container 'branded with the name of the particular creamery in which it is manufactured, and each with a distinctive brand showing its grade and quality. OAXADLVS PRODI'CTIOX GROWING. From statistics recently promulgated it is learned that farmers of Canada received 45,803,052 dollars for their 'butter last year. The total production for the .Dominion was 122.776,;>801b5, according to the figures just compiled. This is an increaee in quantity of 11,084,862fbs over the previous year. Estimates are th#t the present year will show an even greater proportion of increase. All the provinces show an increase in butter production with the exception of diminutive Prince KdwaTd Island. British Columbia's proportionate increase was the largest, with 36 per cent to its credit, a noteworthy fillip in the 'butter industry, being accountable for the large numlber of new farms taifcen up Iby soldier settlers in the Western Province, where winter conditions are more balmy than anywhere else in Canada.

In the matter of dairying Ontario naturally leads the Dominion, with Quebec second and Alberta third. The remaining provinces follow ill the order of their dairying importance: — Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova S<?otia, British Cofrumibia, New Brunswick, ana Prince Edward Island.

It may he of some interest to Antipodean ibutter interests to mention that home of the Canadian dairymen are reaching out in another direction overseas, for they are reported to have lirmiy established themeelves in the Orient. China especially favouring the recent importations of Canadian butter.