THE HOME PRICES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 120, 24 May 1933, Page 10

THE HOME PRICES

GROUND LOST TO DENMARK

(Prom "The Post's" Representative.) ::.:■:-/■. : ' SYDNEY,; May 18., ■ Great' anxiety as to the future of the butter export trade from Australia and New Zealand to England is being displayed by Australian: producers at the present time, and according to the Australian supervisor, of • dairy exports, both countries are losing ground to Denmark and other foreign countries, and the position that is developing is I a serious one-indeed. ' The supervisor (Mr. P. J. Carroll) described as alarming- the difference between, the prices of Dominions butter and Danish butter and, to a lesser extent, the butter of j other countries. Ho said that imports of Danish butter into tho United King-1 dom. during the last ten. years had in- 1 creased by 50 per cent.' Tho' price margin was greater, too. Compared with the average for tho five years before 1932.it had increased, by 6s per cwt. '■-..'.■•.-',. , "It seems," says Mr. Carroll, "that the Dominions have lost at least some of the benefit which should have, resulted from, the Ottawa Agreement. Our chief concern is to' devise some means by which the gap between the butters of; the two. countries may be bridged to the advantage of Australia. I may add' Dutch,', Norwegian, and Swedish butters to those commanding the same; price as Danish; even Latvia is quoted 10s higher than. Australian. In addition to this there are the blended and the home;produced butters,-so it is safe- to assume that- at least 50 per cent, of the butters consumed in Great Britain are purchased at prices from 2d to 3d ' and " even more a, pound than Australian and- New Zealand. It seems to me that there must be some explanation for this wide disparity in prices' against tho Dominions' produce. Either our'butters do not "meet the requirements of the British consumer or there are some weaknesses in our method of marketing. The position has existed for many years, and notwithstanding the progress made with tho industry in Australia is becoming worse. . ■ ' "Let us assume that by. improvement in quality or better marketing methods, a superior system of advertising, or soino other means, we were able to Teduce the gap by even one-third, or 10s a cwt, the financial gains to the' dairymen of Australia would represont something like £2,000,000 a year. ■ This is one of the most important matters facing the industry and the Governments. If Australian and Now Zealand butter is not of the type and quality which the British consumer demands, and for which •he is prepared to. pay top market prices, then no time should'be lost in amending our methods to enable us to produce such butter, immediate investigations should be made to ascertain definitely .the reason for this discrepancy in value, and steps should be taken to enable us to participate in the benefits our foreign competitors are enjoying. '; There is no aspect, of the dairying industry which would so well repay the outlay necessary to make a thorough inquiry it1- by doing so we would place our butfer on the London market in such a condition and in such a manner as.to enable us to obtain the same price as our competitors." ■ '

Mi1. D. B. Hoggard (chairman') was appointed to represent the Hutt County Council on the City and Suburban Highways Board at the. annual meeting of the council today. Councillor S. Blacliley was appointed "the council's representative on the New Zealand Counties ■'■ Association.