Butter Oil Quota Thought Necessary

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31322, 18 March 1967, Page 20

Butter Oil Quota Thought Necessary

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 17. The British Government must sooner or later put a quota on imports of butter oil in the same way as conventional butter the “Financial Times” reports.

It must do this if its policy is to be consistent, the newspaper says. The Australian Government la dissatisfied with the British Government’s failure to apply the same quota control. Butter oil imports in 1966 amounted to 10,090 tons, compared with 2797 tons in 1965.

At the same time butter imports between April and December, 1966, totalled 319,900 tons, against 311,500 tons in the previous period. From these figures it can be seen that butter oil is increasing its share of the total butter import market at

the expense of conventional butter, said the “Financial Times.” Oil importers, however, are arguing that even when converted back to butter, the quantities have not been sufficient to affect the price of butter, and, in any case, some of the butter oil is subsequently re-exported to other conutries “as part of composite products.”

On the other hand, one butter oil importer has suggested that in time all butter requirements will be imported in liquid form in the same way as lard.

Being in effect butter without moisture, and containing few impurities, it is said to give an 18 per cent saving weight and eliminates cold store problems, the “Financial Times” said.

At present butter oil Is imported under licence and is used mainly in the manufacture of confectionery, bakery products, ice-cream and processed cheese.