DAIRY EXPORT TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 26 May 1930, Page 12

DAIRY EXPORT TRADE

MARKET REVIEW

SOUTH ISLAND INDIGNANT

The New Zealand Producers' Co-opera-tive Marketing Association's weekly cabled market report from London, dated 23rd May, is as follows: "Butter: Business is very dull and no demand, buyers show no disposition to operate at all. New Zealand, 127s to 130s; unsalted. 13Ss to 1465. Danish, 1325." Prices for New Zealand and Danish butters, as above, are also reported by the Dairy Board, -which quotes prices of butters from other sources as proportionately low. This time last year. New Zealand salted butter commanded 165s to 1665, or some 37s per cwt more than to-day. Deliveries of New Zealand butter last ■week were 875 tons, and there were in store 10,000 tons; last year at same date deliveries were 650 tons, and stored SSOO tons. The Empire Marketing Board estimates stocks of all buttei's in store at 17th May as 905,007 boxes. Ketail prices of butter in London are unchanged—New Zealand selling at Is 4d per pound, Danish same' price. Messrs. Joseph Nathan and Co,, Ltd., have received the following market report from Messrs. Trengrouse and Nathan, Ltd., London. dated ,24th May:— ""'New Zealand cheese, white, 78s per cwt; coloured, S4s per cwt, weak." The Dairy Board quotes New Zealand cheese, 80s to 81 for white, and 86s to 87s for coloured, as at 23rd May, a fall of Is on the week. Canadian white cheese is quoted 102s to 105s, compared with 98s to 106s the ' previous week; coloured, 100s to 104s, compared with. 96s to 104s the week before. Stocks of New Zealand cheese at 23rd May were 131,368 crates, compared with 157,038 same time, last year; deliveries were 16,975 crates, compared with 1i,706 for corresponding date of 1929. Canadian deliveries for the week amounted to 1900 hoses, compared with 2250 boxes as at the end of May, 1929, but the Quantity held in store was more than double, viz;., 96,000 boxes, compared with 40,000 boxes, as at 23rd May, 1929. The retail price o£ New Zealand cheese in London shops, is unchanged at lid per lb. I CHEESE QUALITY PROBLEM. Ths South Island Dairy Association reports for the year ended 31st March the following exports:— Butter. Cheese. - ' Cwts. Cwts. Bluff ■ 7,587 215,194 Duncdia 24,365 18,557 Tlmaru 6,417 17,188 Lyttelton 47,301 - 28,11 C Total cwts 83,7(50 339,055 Increase 'n 1929 1,433 27.552 Butter exports increased 1% per cent.; cheese exports 9 per cent. The association reporting on the cheese quality question, states: "With regard to cheese, we are sorry to say the position is not nearly so satisfactory as butter as will be seen from the particulars undernoted which show the results of the gradings for the same period." For the purpose of comparison the association gives figures for the whole Dominion and for the North and South Islands respectively. They are as follow:— 1 Under Finest. First. First. it.c. l>.c. ]i.c. Whole Dominion 24 74 2 North Island IH% SUi ~Vi : South Island 55 44 1 The results in the several grading districts of the South Island were:— Canterbury and Westland : ni'/i '"Vi i"-i Otago «» • S<> 1 , Southland , sli=i «V= -A "STANDARDISED" RESULTS. The report indicates the difference between the quality of the cheese manufactured in the north and that made in the south, and continues: "It is, therefore, in our own interests to see that the average is raised as high as it possibly can be, and we must.take steps to put a stop to the exploitation which is being carried on at our expense. It is quite evident that a section of the producers in the north, in their, desire for yield, have lost all regard for the quality, of their.product." j It .is also stated that " a large number I of factories in the north seized the opportunity -which was offered to them to skim the milk, and for the 12 months to 31st March last ' the quantity' of 'standardised' cheese which was graded for.:, export was 597,225 crates, or more than one-half of the total quantity of cheese graded in the Dominion. . We are pleased that not one factory in the South Island has adopted the practice, and we sincerely hope that this position ' will continue. The following particulars showing how the 'standardised' cheese graded are arresting: Total 'crates, 597,225; finest, grade, 71,886, equal to 12 per .cent.; first grade, 508,514, equal to 85 per cent.; under first, 16,825, equal to 3 per cent. . .■:.."' SOUTHLAND'S DEMAND. • "We must demand (1) that the export o£ cheese other than full cream be'prohibited; and (2) that a compulsory system of grading milk for cheese making be iii.'stitirted with differential payments on the basis of quality; and we must continue making these demands to the proper authority until they arc met with. . . We cannot see' any reason why our butter and cheese should not command- the highest prices in the world's markets. ■ "The- oheese producers of Southland recently decided to brand their product with the words 'Southland Manufacture and in View of the .position which pertains m tne north we are not at all surprised at them taking this action. We think, however, that there should be no distinction made as between the different provinces ot the South Island, andwe would recommend to you that all cheese made in the boutn Island be branded with the words South Island Manufacture.' The Southland, producers, we feel sure, would-be prepared to fall in with this proposal."