BUTTER AND THE STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 108, 7 May 1926, Page 9

BUTTER AND THE STRIKE

WHAT IS BEING HELD IN STOHE?

Tho announcement that the British Government has fixed the maximum prices of butter and cheese at 171s and 93s per cwt, has been received with mixed feelings by producers in New Zealand interested in stocks. held at Home. However, there appears to be no compulsion to sell at these rates. Had 180s been the figure for butter probably no complaint would have been made at this end. The quality of butter held in store in Great Britain is difficult to estimate, because it is in the hands of individual owners. The New Zealand Dairy Board, however, was advised on 9th April that butter generally, not exclusively of New Zealand origin—so held amounted to 500,000 boxes. Since then 215,000 boxes of New Zealand butter have arrived, and an estimated quantity of 200,000 boxes of Australian has also been landed. There are 155,000 boxes of New Zealand butter on the water, and duo to arrive in May. The position is seen in the following table:— Boxes Butter. Store, 9th April 060,000 N.Z., shipped since 215,000 Australian 200,000 075,000 N.Z., to arrive" May ...... 185,000 Total 1,160,000 Withdrawals which cannot be ascertained hero will have to be deducted from the quantities of butter held at Home on 9th April, viz., 560,000 boxes. Produce held in New Zealand at 30th April in the various grading ports was: Butter, 9227 tons; cheese, 11,572 tons; as compared with G24S tons butter and 5139 tons cheese held on the 30th April, 1925. These figures will show that there is a very heavy quantity of New Zealand dairy produce in store at Home and in New Zealand and afloat, that is yet to be disposed of. The produce graded for export during the past nine months, compared with that of the 1925 season was as follows: Butter. Cheese. 1926 .... 59,150 08,414 1925 67,310 04,54-1 . Butter decrease, 12.1 per cent.; chease increase, 6 per cent. Converting the figures into butterfat j equivalent, there is a decrease of 6.5 per cent, in butterfat production for the nine months, as compared with the cor- 1 responding period of the 1924-25 season.