CHEESE FOR BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 August 1946, Page 10

CHEESE FOR BRITAIN

PRICE ANNOUNCED BY MR. NASH ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETE (P A ) WELLINGTON, August 7. The price that the United Kingdom Government will pay for New Zealand cheese for the 1946-47 season is 102/6 (sterling) per cwt. This was announced by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) in the House of Representatives to-night. He added that this completed the arrangements for the sale of New' Zealand’s three major primary products to the United Kingdom. The price of butter, as previously announced, is 175/- (sterling) per cwt. and prices for meat have been increased by 71 per cent, over last season. Mr. Nash said all these prices were in accord with requests made to the Government by representatives of the dairy and meat industries. The price for pig meat would be increased by more 'than 11 j per cent, over last season’s prices. “These prices represent considerable advances on prices paid by the United Kingdom during the first few years of the’bulk purchase contract, said Mr. Nash. “Prices to be paid to the Australian Government have not been fully agreed upon, but I am advised that an agreement has been reached by the Australian and United Kingdom Governments that the price for butter during the coming season will be 173/6 per cwt., and for cheese 101/- per cwt. Mr.. Nash said that the estimated payout for this year, including farm cost allowances, would be: butterfat for butter, as supplied to dairy factories, 20.6 d per lb; butter-fat for cheese, 22.6 per lb, approximately l/Bid and l/10Ad respectively. Factory returns were not yet completed, but from returns available to date it appeared that prices would be realised as stated. The actual guaranteed price for butter-fat for butter, plus allowances, was 20.394 d, and for but-ter-fat for cheese, 22.394 d. DETAILS OF "AUSTRALIAN PRICES (Rec. 11.15 a.m.) CANBERRA, August 7. Higher United Kingdom prices for Australian butter and cheese have been announced by the Minister of Commerce Mr. Scully. He also forecast higher prices for Australian meat exported to Britain. The new butter price is £B/13/6 a hundredweight compared with £8 1/1 last year. Mr. Scully said this was higher than representatives of the industry expected as Australia had proposed only £B/4/4. The new price, together with the subsidy, would bring the farmers’ return to the'equivalent of 1/71 a pound.