NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 10, 12 July 1922, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

A PRODUCER'S RE- I FLECTIONS ADVICE FOR NEXT SEASON Mr. G. D. Macfarlarie, of Riverbank, Woodville, who is in London as a director of the New Zealand Produce Asso ; ciation, the organisation which is disposing of its dairy produce through the Wholesale Co-operative. Association, has spent a good deal of time travelling throughout the country. New Zealand batter, he maintains, has established its reputation by sheer quality, and it is admitted everywhere that nothing finer comes into Britain. One large wholesaler expressed the opinion that he could buy New Zealand butter without sampling with tho utmost confidence, knowing that if it were first grade the quality would be right. could not do this with any other butter except Danish.

" Surely this is a high compliment to pay our grading officers and our Dairy Division," Mr. Macf'arlane remarked to the London correspondent of The Post, " for it is them largely that you have to thank for the position our butter is in to-day. In going njund the larger towns, calling on small and large shopkeepers, multiple shopß and wholesalers, it is wonderful how interested they become when they know one comes from New Zealand, and that one is interested in the business as a producer. They want to know all about our methods of manufacture, grading system, climatic conditions, and stock. They have heard so much about our wonderful country that one never seems.to satisfy their cariosity about it. In this way it has been my privilege to make some very good friends, and, what is more important, get an order for either butter or cheese. HERDS AND FLOCKS. " I have been invited to visit farmers in Scotland, and have seen some very fine Ayrshire cattle around the South County. I have also seen some herds of Friesians, which are coming into great favour here, as well as some shorthorn herds. Invariably I discuss the butterproducing qualities of each herd, and find that the system of herd-testing is growing very rapidly amongst dairy farmers." .

Mr.. Macfarlane is of opinion thaAbe herds in New Zealand compare favourably with the average herd in England and Scotland, for the reason that many dairymen have to bny their cows at 'the drop or calved, not having land sufficient to raise their own young ' stock. The sheep in Scotland are mostly Cheviots, Highland black faces, or Border Leicesters, _the ram favoured for crossing for fat lambs being some of the Down breeds. The Agricultural Department is at present experimenting with the Southdown ram and the Cheviot and black-faced ewes, with a 'view to deyolping a finer wool by tho cross, and still retaining the hardiness of these breeds. The New Zealander says it will be interesting to watch the outcome oi «___.?.™?. °* what.hw been accompushed by the Dominion in the Corriedale.

FROZEN BEEF:, ': I was in the Glasgow market the other day and saw some very fi no hut£Wt "SSb"?" at prices ranging from £35 to £45 " .aid Mr. Macfarlane to me and I thought of onr fine, bullocks realising the low prices they are at present. In conversation with one of the largest butchers in the town whom I called upon, I was informed that people will pay almost any price for home-fed m preference to either chilled or frozen beef the reason he gave being that the people got such a sickening of frozen beef during the control, that they would not have it at any price. They would rather ha,ve half a-,pound of good hometed than two pounds of frozen or chilled 1 have seen good frozen beef sold as low as 2§d per lb, and this would not pay freight and charges. This not only applies to Scotland but to England too Lamb and mutton at the moment are fauiy good, but a Snrithfield seller tells me that they are likely to rule lower in the near future."

WOOL POSITION. ' Mr. Maefariano found the wool position interesting at the moment, prices firming up, while every sale is a little better than the previous one. "Although the Now Zealand farmer has had a bad time lately," he says, "I am of the decided opinion that he has every reason to anticipate getting some of his own back before very long. The stocks of 'Bawra' wool are rapidly diminishing, wbue at the same time new cliprf are being absorbed. If we had anything like a revival of trade, the demand for woollen goods would get such an impetus that I am inclined to think the demand would very soon meet supply, if not exceed it. A great deal rras looked for in stimulating this revival from the Genoa Conference, but alas! for. the moment no such results are forthcoming. The industrial troubles are alio a factor and.their settlement at the moment is as hopeless. Until these problems are solved and some degree of confidence is restored, there is little hope of the wheels of industry here revolving with any marked effect. BUTTER THE BETTER PROPOSITION, "At the moment we are having the Home and Canadian cheese coming on to the market in largo quantities. It is new cheese certainly, but it matures very quickly, especially'the earlier or fodder make, with the result that it is readily sold at a lower price than New Zealand cheese. _ The former, in the multiple shops, is being sold at 9d per lb, retail. I understand, that large quantities of New Zealand cheese at date' have yet to be shipped, whereas we should have haid only the tail-end of our production coming forward now. What this means to the price, not only of ours, but the other makes, it is difficult to say. In any case, the price will be low. The amount of dairy produce that will be manufactured this year in America, Britain, and on the Continent^will be very great owing to the slump in bondensed and other prepared milks, these being virtually a'drug on the market at present. This will have its effect on our next season's production of dairy produce, more particularly on cheese. I anticipate,' with a normal season, a very large carry-over into our next season, and prices will be affected in proportion to the quantity so carried over. " The question that will be exercising the minds of producers in New Zealand at the moment will be. which product they ' will manufacture—that is, where they have dual plants. As far as I can see, it seems that butter will be the better proposition. When we look back over the past season and see the enormous increase of butter from both New Zealand and Australia, and remember that the Imperial stock of over 20,000 tons was absorbed as well, it will at once be seen that ,on tho basis of the productions of New Zealand and Australia being tho same next year, there will still be the 20,000 tons lees available next year, and as a consequence 1 am of opinion.that butter will be the belter paying proposition.