ENGLISH BUTTER PRODUCTION

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22194, 10 September 1937, Page 5

ENGLISH BUTTER PRODUCTION

DECREASE ADVOCATED ENCOURAGING USE OF WHOLE MILK (thou oc» owa co»ttESPOKD*irr.) LONDON, August 18. Steps arc being taken by the British Milk Marketing Board to ensure that every gallon of milk produced which can be so used goes into the more profitable markets of liquid consumption, - cream manufacture, and condensing rather than being used for butter production. Diversion of supplies is now being arranged with the co-operation of the buyers. This decision is partly the outcome of the Government’s refusal to impose a near-marked tariff on imported butter and cheese, which it was hoped would serve to raise the price of the home products closer to an economic figure, and partly because the combination of cheap butler and cheap milk for English consumers is spelling ruin to the English dairy farmer. The milk pi’oducer in England today is experiencing a worrying time.

The ordinary farmer who depends on the sale of his milk for a livelihood has had a lean .year, and has barely covered his outgoings. His production costs have risen, but, bound by an annual contract; fixing prices until the end of September, he has not been able to recoup himself. The Milk Marketing Board, the milk producers’ selling organisation, is now discussing with milk buyers the terms '«£ the annual contracts which arc to rule from October 1. (The 1936-37 prices were: October to Metrelv, Is 5d a gallon; April, Is 4d; May, Is, Is Bd;.June,' Is; July and August, Is Id; September, Is 3d.)

Milk producers are unanimous in demanding that the board shall obtain such contract prices as will give them an extra lid a gallon in the pool prices. How the extra money is to be found does not really concern them. This, they regard, as the business of their board, who, they consider, should know the dairy industry well enough by now to tell which sections can afford to pay higher prices. While the milk producers have had a lean year, it. is an interesting fact that the sales of milk in Great Britain are rising. The National Milk Publicity Council have issued a report on their six months’ campaign in six selected industrial areas, in order to increase the sale of liquid milk to industrial workers. So successful have the efforts of the organisers been that 4186 firms, employing 1,314,377 men and women, have, been - operating the schemes. The total reported and estimated consumption of milk under these schemes amounted to 434,605 gallons for the month of May.

As there are still 3750 factories to be approached, the good work should be continued. One well-known firm wrote to the council to say that the scheme started with 1200 half-pigts a week, and in six months the demand increased to more than 5000 half-pints a week. The milk consumption was not confined to female workers; male workers have asked for the same facilities.