New Zealanders Eating More Butter, Others Less

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28767, 12 December 1958, Page 21

New Zealanders Eating More Butter, Others Less

(Wigs': Press. Association—C«pimg*tJ '

LONDON. December 10 New Zealanders and Danes ar. eating more butter ttlim before the war. but Australians, Britons, and Americans are eating leu. This is shown in statistics issued by the Commonwealth Economic Committee in its review. “Dairy Produce.’’ New Zealanders remained the biggest butter-eaters Last year each ate an average 431 b, compared with 42.81 b before the war. Australians, however, ate only an average 28.31 b last year against 32.61 b 20 years ago,: and Britons consumed 17.J»b against 24.11 b pre-war. Americans were shown to be eating only half as much butter as they consumed in the 1930’5-8.51b 8.51b against 16.61 b. Apart from New Zealand, only the Danes increased their consumption—22lb against 18.31 b. Margarine consumption in Britain dropped below that of butter for the first time since the war at 15.11 b an average a year. Compared with before the war, Australians were eating twice as much, 8.41 b against 4.91 b; and Americans were eating three times as much. 8.61 b against 2,91 b. No figures were available for New Zealand. The review said that although world butter production increased in 1957, the.rise in exports, which brought the total to the highest post-war level, was partly due to the disposal of stocks built up in many European countries during the preceding year. Nevertheless, world trade in butter in 1957 was still-almost 20 per cent, lower than before the war. Commonwealth supplies

were sharply reduced, accounting **■-”>&. <JooJ»tewt compared with 5.000,000 cwt in 1956, a percentage drop of 516 to 44.2. The review noted, however. I that the Commonwealth** share of international t rads had recovered in 1958, due to a rise in shipments from New Zealand. to many dairying countries milk production continued to increase faster than liquid consumption, releasing more milk for manufacture. The Commonwealth provided an increased proportion of the condensed milk and milk powder entering the world trade. New Zealand skimmed milk powder sold overseas rose from 948.000 cwt to Australian exports fell from 5*1.000cwt to 438J)00cwt. But Australia's condensed milk exports, by contrast, rose from 501,OOOcwt to 62*,000cwt. New Zealand's went up by 3000 cwt to -90.000 cwt.