BUTTER SUPPLIES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20343, 16 September 1931, Page 6

BUTTER SUPPLIES.

DENMARK V. NEW ZEALAND. (FROM Ol'R OWN COHKZSPO.NDE.NT.; LONDON, August 7. 'There is no phase ot the campaign to induce consumers to give a voluntary preference to Empire produce which is of greater moment than in butter (remarks the "Glasgow Herald"), because in this commodity New Zealand is such a formidable rival to Denmark. J n a survey of butter supplies and prices, the Ministry of Agriculture shows that 3921-25 figures suggest that -England and Wales produce 72 per cent, of the total Home output Of butter; Scotland only 7 per cent.; and North Ireland 21. per cent. Net imports ot' butter (that is, allowing for re-exports) have increased by 2.1 per cent, since 1925—from 5,489,000cwt to o,G4o,ooocwt. Approximately two-thirds of ;he total imports are received from Denmark, New Zealand and Australia. Danish supplies have risen from 1,058,000cwt in 1925 to 2,319,000cwt last year, or by 40 per cent. New Zealand supplies have risen from 1,255,000cwt in 1925 to 1,570,000cwt last year. The 1930 imports from Russia, 105,OOOcwt, were less than half those of 1927, The first half of this year has witnessed a further increase in imports—from 3,609,000cwt (in first half of last year) .to 3,980,000cwt. Eussia has sent 70,OOOcwt, against 43,000 and 120,OOOcwt in the first halves of 1930 and 1929 respectively. Course of Prices. In 1900 the value of imported butter declined more rapidly than the Homeproduced article, a fact which was doubtless due in some measure to the exceptionally heavy quantities imported in that year. Compared with 3929, Danish butter in 1930 dropped by 17 per cent., and New Zealand and Australian by 23 and 22 per cent, respectively. In 1931 to date, however, the falls have been about equal to those recorded in British butter. Prices of British butter show a very marked seasonal movement, an almost continuous fall to June being followed by an equally steady rise, with the result that prices of iirst quality ia June are on the average nearly onefourth below those in January. Danish butter also tends to realise its lowest prices of the year about May to July, but tlio movement is nothing like as great or regular as in British butter. In the few opening and closing months of the year first quality British butter realises far higher prices than Danish, but owing to the heavy seasonal fall in the former, prices in June of both descriptions are on much the same level, although over the whole year the price of British butter exceeds that of Danish on the average by over 20s per cwt. First quality Danish butter in its turn is dearer than first quality New Zealand by about 14s per cwt, but the difference is usually very small in May, Juiie and July; in fact, in July New Zealand butter has sometimes been the dearer of the two. The course of prices of Australian butter usually follows closely that of New Zealand but at a slightly lower level. The annual price of second quality British butter is much the same as that of first quality Danish,' but this is largely due to the relatively good prices realised for tho former in the •winter months, for in the eight months March to October the prices of second quality British aro usually tho lower, and in June the margin averages nearly 15s per cwt below.

RUSSIAN BUTTER PERIL. KIELS AND BOXES. (rrwjl OL'lt OWK CORUESrUMUE.NT.) LONDON, August 7. 'The current jiumbcr of "Weekly Dairy Produco Notes," issued by the Empire Marketing Board, shows that for tlio week ended July 25th Rtfssia, topped a list of 19 countries exporting buttor to the United Kingdom. She sent 55,180cwt, compared with 53,798cwt eent by Denmark, and SB,Slsewt sent by New Zealand. The same publication shows that according to the price-list issued by the London Provision Exchange, best Russian butter was with Polish at the bottom of the list, selling at 94s a cwt, while best New Zealand was 110s, and best Denmark 114s. "A third record is now wanted," said an official of the Empire Dairy Council in an interview. "We havo still to learn of the first instance of Russian butter being sold over the counter in it's own name. Yet the Now Zealand authorities are spending thousands of pounds in advertising and subsidising the labelling of Empire butter." Copying New Zealand Boxes. The Soviet steamer Smolny, the latest ship of the Russian "butter fleot" to arrive in London, discharged at London Bridge this week 12,000 barrels and 4000 boxes of Russian butter, Siberian butter has for years been exported to this country in a cask which, when removed, leaves the butter in appearance exactly similar to the shape associated with the best Danish butters, so highly popular in the North of England. The boxes now landed at London, an authority on Empire butter stated, are an exact copy of the boxes used by New Zealand. Every dimension is tho same, and even [ the grading mark stencilled on the outside is tho same shape as that employed | by' the Dominion grading authorities. It is understood that the new type of box butter is from the Ukraine. When the outer covering is.removed and the block of butter is placed on the grocer's counter, there is nothing to enable tho purchaser to distinguish between it and New Zealand butter unless the grocer himself uses an identifying ticket. Identification of; butter is not, however, comiwlsory. "Under the present state of the law," said a New Zealand butter expert, "I am afraid we have absolutely no remedy against the imitation of our boxes. The fact that in the North of England Russian butter can be soJ4 in 'kids' just like the beet Danish, ayd in the South in boxes exactly similar to our own Empire butter, indicates the urgent neod of measures to protect the wonderful goodwill for Home and Empire butter, which has lately been built np by the Empire Marketing Board."

Up to the Shopkeepers. "Tliey are trading on the fact that the identification of butter in not compulsory, and that nothing can bo done to prevent them from copying- the boxes," said an official of tho .Umpire Marketing Board to a "Daily Mail" reporter. "The Russians could probably be outwitted if shopkeepers would undertake to ascertain definitely tho countries of origin of all their butter and mark up their names so that the housewife could see for herself." Not Really a New Practice. It may be recalled that quite three years ago, Mr 11. E. Davis (London representative of the New Zealand Dairy Board) advised his Board of the substitution by Ukraine of boxes for barrels —of boxes identical in size with those used by New Zealand. The London local adviser for Ukraine is an up-to-date man who, very likely, had been inspecting imported butters and had noted the various methods of packing. No doubt, he appreciated the difference between casks and boxes. Tho boxes were duly adopted and they do look like tho Now Zealand containers, but the contents aro described in the Russian language. There is 110 attempt to mislead the buyer, and there should not, therefore, be any confusion between the butter from Ukraine and the butter arriving from anywhere else while it is in boxes. New Zealand and Australia have no monopoly over butterboxing, and it is not to be wondered at that an energetic agent should wish to do the best for his country. The use of boxes by Ukraine is not really a new practice, but it has come under public notic,c as the result of the increased Russian dumping.

One o£ tho curiosities of climatic conditions in the .southern' hemisphere this year is tho complete absence of icebergs from tho North Atlantic Ocean. Last year about 150 bergs were reported by ships during the spring and summer travel season. In the early summer there are usually a few substantial bergs off the. Newfoundland coast, and icebergs are a regular attraction on the Belle Island route to the • north of Newfoundland into the St. Lawrence river. Evidently the conditions that have given England so broken a summer must either have kept tho icebergs c-hainod up in the Arctic or else caused thcin to melt rapidly. At any rate, only two insignificant icebergs have been sighted this year in the _ area traversed by the steamer services. Tho drive was concluded recently of over a million sheep on the moors and mountain pastures of North Wales. The sheep and lambs were bathed in chemical tanks on the hillsides of Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, and Snowdon to prevent the sproad of sheep scab and mito disease. 1918 'FLU EPIDEMIC. Flue&zol is determined to prevent the spread of the .'flu epidemic to 1918 proportions. Research has improved our knowledge. Pcoplo should put their faith in Fluenzol, the . proved specific, and use it according to directions. —4