DAIRY PRODUCE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20415, 9 December 1931, Page 4

DAIRY PRODUCE.

BRITAIN EATING MORE BUTTER. * • Lower prices for butter appear to have had the effect of increasing its consumption in the industrial districts of Britain, to judge by the latest' report of the Economic Section of the Empire Marketing Board. In November, 1926, the Board had carried out a survey of the retail demand for butter in Stoke-on-Trent, Burton-on-Trent, Stafford, and Loughborough, and two years later, in view of the sharp fall in the price of the commodity that had occurred in the interval, the survey was repeated. It' -was found that retail prices in the shops fell by about sixpence a pound. Over the same period the total weekly sales of butter rose from 423 cwt to 473cwt, an increase of 12 per' cent, j the proportion of the Empire to total sales rose from 28 per cent, to 36 per cent. Sales in each of the 152 shops visited rose by 331b a week. There was a considerable, drop in the sales of Siberian butter, largely because comparatively little Russian butter was imported in 1930; The number of Bhops stocking Irish Free butter increased, although the consumption fell. The most etriking change occurred in the case of New Zealand butter, which was found in nearly twice as many shops iri 1930 as in 1928. Danish butter still held the, lead, with 37 per cent, of the total in 1928, and 36 per cent, in 1930. New Zealand's percentage rose from 11 to 23. Quality of Our Cheese. Much has been heard of late concerning the quality of New Zealandv cheese, and an effort lias been made to prove that the Canadian article is superior to our product. This contention is to a large extent based upon one fact, that Canadian cheese has reached a higher price on the London market. The assumption, which we are asked to take, that the Canadians manufacture a better cheese is totally incorrect, however. The only reason that the Canadian product fetches a higher price is that it is matured for six or eight months. Were New Zealand cheese treated similarly it would unquestionably command a similar price, but our authorities evidently consider that the cost of maturing it would not be warranted for the extra value realised. In this connexion, special interest attaches to the statement made the month before last by Dr. Ruddick, the Dairy Commissioner of Canada, in a communication he sent u to the Bellville branch of the Department of Agriculturo in Canada, Dr. Ruddick's-statement is as follows: — "During my recent visit to the dairy produce markets in the United Kingdom, I was very strongly impressed with the growing unpopularity of late fall-madd cheese from Canada. Tho complaint is that they are pasty, immature, and poor flavour. ' . "If this matter is not attended to it will soon be impossible to sell cold weather cheese in United Kingdom. Time was when anything could be sold. That day is past. The attitude of the trade is why handle inferior Canadian cheese when good New Zealand is always available! The demand for highgrade Canadian is as good as ever it was, and it brings a premium, but improperly cured cheese is not wanted at any price." The passage in Dr. Ruddick's statement, "... when good New Zealand cheese is always available," is deserving of special emphasis as showing that the Canadians —our biggest competitors —think more highly of our cheese than many of our own people do.