N.Z. BUTTER IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27470, 2 October 1954, Page 6

N.Z. BUTTER IN BRITAIN

COMMENT BY MR W. MARSHALL ‘MANAGEMENT’ OF MARKET CRITICISED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 1 Butter price levels in Britain today a re dictated by arbitrary price fixation by the Ministry of Food, the chairman of the New Zealand Dairv w Commission (Mr W. Marshall) said today. He said the sooner the manaffpmont Of the market by the Mtotto 4as r^ SP K? Sed bettor it would be for New Zealand. He was asked to comment on a report received by the ew Zealand from its London office giving current butter wholesale prices. Mr Marshall said these acceiveS g latest !”*>™ation ?e--month^ago.” 10 " The bank’s report said that nubiio demand for butter in Britain was're sponding to the lower retafl prices which now ranged from 3s 6d to lb- This had followed a drastic reduction m wholesale prices. New Zealand butter was now 40s per cwt lower than it was two months avn Australian and Danish were 50s lower and Argentine 25s lower. The report said the heavy falls involved many buyers m losses and engendered resentment. The lower retail buttS |arine was sffecting sala of mar-

Danish Butter Cheaper The Ministry of Food had fixed, Danish prices lower than those fo? the New Zealand product, possibly because it wanted to get rid of greater quantities of the Danish nrodnet which did not keep so well P as that from New Zealand. that

Mr Marshall said that naturallv resentment was caused amons the tr»H ers when the drop occurred Unde; . they had sonwonl to blame—the Ministry of Food, which fixed the prices to the No 1 wholesalers weekly. 1 Anole - He said that from New Zealand’s noint of View the best thing that coiSd happen would be for the British market to .revert to true open market conditions, where demand in relation to supply would fix the prices .JLJiEL .F}* 6 that dema nd had strengthened to some extent in recent weeks, but it would be misleading to draw any long-term conclusions from such a short-term occurrence.