DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 9, 12 January 1926, Page 5

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

LONDON MARKET FIRMER. SOUTH AUCKLAND RETURNS. QUANTITY AND QUALITY SATISFACTORY. (By Telegraph.—O-vn Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. The New Zealand Dairy Association has received the following cable from London: Butter: Anchor, 174/, unsalted 176/; Danish 104/, after touching 161/. The market is active with an upward tendency, in spite of Danish weakness. Xew Zealand, Australian and Argentine butter afloat at date is :SOO,OOO boxes less than last year. Trade bare of stock. Cheese: White 100/, coloured 102/. Market firm. Referring to the cable. Mr. Goodfellow said that the visible supply of butter for the British market at the moment was a good deal less than usual, aud with this knowledge Mr. Wright, the company's manager, had decided to hold New Zealand butter at 174/, notwithstanding the I Danish weakness, which in all probability was to be aeeoimted for hy a temporary lull in German buying. New Zealand and Australian butter was now firmly entrenched in London and the South 01 England markets, and in consequence the Danes were having somewhat the same experience in a lesser degree to that which overtook New Zea- '• land last year, when Danish was selling at 50/ per cwt higher than New Zealand. Referring to other markets, Mr. Goodfellow said the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company had exported btitter during the past "month to countries other than Great Britain, exceeding in value the sum of £125.000, viz., the Orient, Pacific Islands, Honolulu, Vancouver, San Francisco, Panama and Montreal. The Pacific coast market was limited, and past experience had proved that it was also risky. The duty of 4d plus freight and other charges when deducted gave a return to the New Zealand factory invariably little better than the London current values. Referring to the cheese position, he stated that the market had improved during the past week and the forward position appeared quite sound. A big advertising campaign which was begun and conducted in America and Europe by blended cheese manufacturers was undoubtedly stimulating the consumption of cheese of all classes. I Referring to production Mr. Goodfellow said that the recent rains were welcome and would be a great help in maintaining the butterfat suppty during the remainder of the summer. The quality of butterfat produced to the end of December in the South Auckland district was very satisfactory indeed when compared with Dominion figures. From June to December inclusive, the company had manufactured 12,516 tons of butter compared with 12,G52 tons the previous year, showing a shrinkage of 1.31 per cent. During the same period they had made 1070 tons of cheese compared with ISBB tons for the previous year, an increase of 4.81 per cent. On a butterfat basis the supply for the present season from June to November inclusive showed a shrinkage of .G2 per cent compared with the previous year, a little over half per cent. The figures for the whole of New Zealand were now available as follows:— For five months ending December, 1025, a total of 32,782 tons of butter was made, compared with 37,552 tons for the previous season, a decrease of 12.7 per cent. The cheese graded for the first five months was 33,473 tons, compared with 31,600 tons for the previous year, an increase of 5.9 per cent. Converting the above figures into butterfat equivalent the Dominion's production, showed a decrease for the five months ending December 31 last of 7.5 per cent. The above figures, he added, demonstrated that South Auckland district so far as this season is concerned, was well ahead of the rest of Xew Zealand in the production of butterfat. The outstanding feature of the present season's production of both butter and cheese was the very fine quality now being manufactured. The main causes for this were systematic dairy farm instruction, cream grading and payment for quality according to grade. The favourable season for quality improved the methods of manufacture. ■