N.Z.’s BIG SHARE OF CHEESE, BUTTER SALES IN BARBADOS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28646, 24 July 1958, Page 9

N.Z.’s BIG SHARE OF CHEESE, BUTTER SALES IN BARBADOS

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 22. In the face of competition from many other countries, New Zealand has captured the major share of the butter and cheese market of the small Caribbean island of Barbados. Barbados is a “free” market. With other Caribbean territories it is one of the few free markets in the world outside the United Kingdom. So most of the dairy exporting countries are in open and very strong competition. The latest figures received by the Dairy Products Marketing Commission show that, last year, Barbados imported 280 tons of cheese. New Zealand supplied 90 per cent, and the remaining 10 per cent, was shared by 10 countries. Imports of table butter by Barbados last year were 120 tons. New Zealand supplied more than 70 per cent, and the rest of the business was shared by six countries.

However, Barbados imports more cooking butter than table butter and the greater part of this trade is held by Eire, with Norway taking a small share. Last year, Eire supplied about 250 tons. The commission, which makes

cooking butter at its Auckland plant, is now trying to develop the particular type that holds the strongest appeal in Barbados. The islanders prefer a highly acid, highly coloured and highly salted butter with an extremely ‘‘ripe” flavour. The difficulty'has been for the commission to produce the ripeness of flavour to the degree that is required. But wnile searching for the right ripeness of flavour, the commission has been able to obtain a share of the cooking butter trade in Trinidad and British Guiana where the local taste is not so difficult to meet.