BUTTER AND CHEESE

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 208, 2 September 1926, Page 7

BUTTER AND CHEESE

EMPIRE MARKETING. COMMITTEES REPORT. SEVEBE COMPETITION. ' ECONOMIES NECESSARY. ( 0 7 Ca b le.-F-^ latlOn --° WriSlltJ tEeceived 2 p.m.) LONDON, September 1. o ,- oTYinnrr the conclusions in „ °"'ta«S "«<>»* C.»mi«~. c " lllllli: 1C 11 151b to lßlb compared with , Cm 271b in Australia. J FOREIGN COMPETITION. t M ?;-„ »m i ■»»'" "--"' «**" y : SciSf In the comr«i,, s northimproved in recent £ farming interests, in order to meet inch cutting prices as may come irom SLScSnJetition,. prepare without dly for the adoption oi more efficient fnd cheaper methods of production. Fortunately there is room for such improvement by means oi increase outfit without any great increase in the cost. The quantity of milk and butterfat from each individual cow, and the ntmiber of cows to the acre, can be Latly increased. Cow-testing should be generally adopted. By attention to breeding and the improvement of pastares and fodder crops, a greatly increased output can be obtained without an equivalent additional cost. COKPETITORS' ADVANTAGE. "Owing to the distance of the Southern dominions, the bulk of tneir supplies do not arrive till the beginning of the jttT, whereas the Northern countries' implies are relatively close at hand, aid are marketed in greatest quantity daring the spring or within three or four months after. Southern prices mnpathetically follow supplies; there are two low periods—January-February and April-May—but there is usually a steady rise in the hitter hali of the jear. Denmark by means of winter dairying has succeeded in regularising her exports to Britain, so that the monthly quantities vary little with the leason." The report strongly urges all part 9of the Empire to consider carefully the practicability of more winter dairying. "Where it is impracticable, and storage must be resorted to, in order to regularise supplies, we recommend that storage, as far as possible, should be in the country of production, and only so much be stored hi the United Kingdom as to necessary to counterbalance the irregular arrival of ships. "We reinforce the recommendations of th* linlithgow Committee and the Royal Commission on Food Prices that statistics of produce held in storage should be published, as is done in New Zealand." EFFECT OF PRICES ON CONSUMPTION. Dealing with the effect oi retail prices on consumption, the committee emphasises that a fall in prices instantly increases consumption. The retailer naturally, objects to too frequent changes, and claims that by few changes only can he on an average convey to the consumer the net effect of many up= and downs in the wholesale price. The committee comments: "This may be -so, although many are of opinion that there is often an undue lag in retail prices when the wholesale price is falling, especially at the end of the year, owing to the arrival of oversea stocks, which ejwuld result in a definite increase in consumption and the prevention of accumulation, with a steadying of wholesale prices." CONTROL BOARDS. Dealing with the question of control boards, the report says: ''We recognise that conditions of marketing, irregular arrivals and fluctuations in prices justified the producers in taking special steps to safeguard their interests. The remedy for speculation arising from price fluctuations is regularisation of supplies »nd stimulating demand. There is a natural fear among traders that such control bodies might be tempted to abuse their powers. We strongly urge upon these bodies a policy of moderation in the use of their powers. Should they follow a policy of holding up supplies for reserved prices, which is adopted by wme New Zealand factories, they will •» venturing on a dangerous experiment of mass speculation, but if they limit their activities to the regulation of "ipments and the devlopment of marketing they will benefit both producers •"d consumers. POSITION OF CHEESE. TThere is little to be said concerning oieese. No lees than 90 per cent of the jilted Kingdom demand is already met **** within the Empire." The committee repeats its advocacy of *■"> identification of origin, publicity J* researcn relating to dairy produce. file committee is emphatic in ita °PU"on that there is no reason whj from Australia should be highei "Jn from New Zealand. . ney have also examined the methods bnttPg Australian and New Zealanc wter in London, and express the hop( °*t they will see a system evolvei j«Wenng overseas producers as littli 'Pendent upon the importer for financ "■8 produce as the Danes now are. •Ui conclusion, the committee expressei that good may result fron «»trol boards giving a weekly lead ai -Jf o**0** *o the. market price, but thi puttee is definitely-opposed to an; Jp'Opt to secure a system of fixec *"««.—( A. and N.Z. Cable.)