MARKETING OF DAIRY PRODUCE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 74, 21 December 1937, Page 13

MARKETING OF DAIRY PRODUCE

London Man’s Opinions

STILL AMPLE SCOPE FOR

DEVELOPMENT

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, December 2(1.

While it is probably too early to pass judgment on the new system of daily produce marketing introduced in the United Kingdom by the New Zealand Government, the scheme lias proved reasonably satisfactory’ in its trial stages, according to Mr. J. H. Milggs, managing director of United Dairies, Limited, London, who arrived at Auckland by tiie Awatea. He expressed the conviction that there was still ample scope for the development of the English market. Discussing the high range of butter prices maintained for a considerable period on the London market, Mr. Maggs said stocks of dairy produce in the United Kingdom were very low when he left England. Of the Home production, more whole milk was being consumed and a much smaller margin was left for the manufacture of butter and cheese. There were indications that a healthy marketing situation so far as the Dominions were concerned would continue for some time. "The New Zealand Government’s marketing scheme, in conjunction with the payment of a guaranteed price, has been accepted by the London merchants and they are doing their best to co-operate,” Mr. Maggs continued. “They have marketed all the consigned produce, and, so far as I know, there have been no complaints from the New Zealand authorities. We have not been operating under the new system sufliciently long to be able to judge adequately its merits or disadvantages, but in its trial stages it has proved reasonably satisfactory.” With the purchasing limits unrealised, the butter and cheese market in the United Kingdom was capable of further development so far as New Zealand was concerned, he stated. When he left England there was no question of any restriction of imports, and with the spending-power of the people increased there was naturally a prospect of greater sales. Butter was certainly preferred to margarine. While admitting the extreme difficulties which to-day strictly limited the opportunities of marketing British dairy produce on the Continent, Mr. Maggs recalled that a shipment of New Zealand butter had recently gone to Germany. “However, with things as they are, nobody can give an opinion worth twopence about Continental marketing,” he observed. Mr. Maggs, who is accompanied by Mrs. Maggs, intends to spend some weeks in New Zealand. In addition to visiting tourist resorts he will meet prominent figures in the dairying industry.