BUTTER OR CHEESE?

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 116, 13 November 1923, Page 6

BUTTER OR CHEESE?

DAlftY MAftkEt OUfLOOK

A Vt&iTOk'S IMPRESSION.

(IT TEllOltf■.-^•PECIAk TO THE POST.)

AUCKLAND, This Day.

Ihe oiittook iti the dairy e*port-mar-ket was tl-ayersed by' Sir" fhdhias Allen, of the fefitisk Co-operatiVe Wheleiale Society, who ii at Resent Visiting AUckjand. The chief difficulty in any fofecast, said Sir Thoma»j was to say what the world's output' was ' going to be. Any stiffening of prices in London induced prodtidtioii »h other countries and lessened cohsumpti&n Ift Bfitftifi._ Even at present pHces, 6wing US. Britain's, economic. position, 750 to W)op tins of reSfgarine *er6 consrtinid weekly above the pr'e-wat N figuie. With a redtictiari in the price of butted this disparity would disappear, and the demand fof the animal product" wtiUld be greatly strengthened. Present industrial wages would Rot permit the wdrker to pay more than Is 6d per.lb for batter,. : "My view is," said Sir Thomas., "that the tendeticy must be toward lower prices. Those prevailing during the last years were quite abnormal. The smaller nations, which have,recently received autonomy, such as fethollia and. Latvia^ are now sending supplies of good quality butter to London, and in increasing quantities. The expoft surplus of Cinada and Argentina is also a growing factor, and Denmark's-produc-tivity can be augmented at any moment the market is pushed for a rise. Looking at all the facttrst I do not think New Zealand can hope to maintain the present {jUtter prices, and my view is that she will ultimately become in the main' a cheese producing cotititrj-; Canada is making more butter and less Cheese; and the same applies to other countries. While New Zealand stands second t<) Denmark as a butter producer, she is pre-eminent in the world's markets as a'cheese exporter. Cheese is absolutely hece'ssary to the British industrial worker. It is the article; with bread; for his midday meal. Conditions of employment in, the mine and at the furnace make cheese a .most useful food. It will be in demand when the worker cannot afford butter, the inference is obvious. •'

For ffdien beef there is no hope on the British market^ concluded Sir Tholhas. It cannot compete against the Argentine chiiied L prodtictj aild there is also. the handicap ef greater distance. Aii lor quality, New .Zealand must ieafn that tattle, cannot be reared prontabiy for both ffiilk and beef. Stich a pfoduet hitist always go down in competitidn Before what is known as Argentine baby beef. ■ . .