GUARANTEED PRICES

Grey River Argus, 14 July 1936, Page 5

GUARANTEED PRICES

QUALITY TO COUNT

The Margins Fixed (Per Press Association.) AVELLINGTON, July 13. The price margins fixed by the Government in fe'spcet of . the different grades of butter and cheese to be purchased by it. for export,, under Guaranteed Prices P'an, were announced by Air Duncan, the actingDirector of Alarketing, to-day 'The Government, hi', .said, desired 'o imiinla'ii, anj to improve, the qnalty of New Zealand butter and cheese, and it had decided, by mean - of a. system of d'H'erential price margins, bused on quality, to encourage the jiroduetion of the best types ol bo'li commodities. The fixing of constant margms aimed nt providing a more distii.net and tangible incentive to quality product'im.

It had been decided, said Mr Duncan'. 'tniiF the grades shall remain as at. present;- but that, in addit'on I<> the tixation of price, nm'g'ns f-sr the different grades, differentia' pr should be fixed for the h gher and lower scoring ehee-e and creamery butter in the Finest ami Eir-l Grades. The'e was a range of six and a-ha'f points for First Grade <‘reamery butter, and one of four and ahalf potin.s for l-'irst flradi- r-heese; while fur both ereanirrv butti-.- and cheese, the range in the Finest Gtade was from !k'. pri'nls upwards. Th - range was ron.-id'ri'd wide emmgh to mstify the provision of bwn j-r <■ for o.'u-li of '.ho Finest ami I’nst Grades.

Tho priee margins approved by tie Minister, emit inuod Air Diim-nn, w-n ■is follows; —

Creamery Butter. Finest. Grade, 94 upwards: Phis Is 2d per cWt. Finest Grade, 93 to 931: Basic gnu rant ed price. Firs.; Grade, 92 to 921: Minus 7d per cwt. First Grade. PO to till; Minus 2s -Id per ciwl. Second Grade; 'Minus 7s per i-wk AVhey butter: Firs: Grade, minus 9Id pCT cwt; Secund Grade, minus LL' per cwt. Cheese. Finest Grade, 94 upwards: F'us Js 54d per cwt. 'Finest Grade, 93 to 931: P us Is 2d per owe.

First Grade, 92 to 921: Basic guar anteed price. Firs? Grade, 91 to 911: AUnus 7‘ per cwt.

Secaa-J Grade: Alj'nus 2s -Id per cwt.

Air Duncan made it clear that what had been decided on did not alter the present grading system in any way. The number of grades, the allovat-ion of points to grades, and the methods • ukT standards of grading would all remain the same. The butter boxes and cheese crates would be marked with the same grade marks as at present, and no added marks would be affixed to indicate anything in the nature of a subdivfci.on of grades. Asked if he could indicate the guaranteed prices- for butter and cheeso for the ensuing season, AD' Dunean said that the Alinister would make an announcement in due course. What he had stated related on’y to the margins above and below the miarauteed prices. He could, howexei, say that, in the case cf both cheese n.nd creamery butter, the range of grading! points in. respect of winch the basic guaranteed price would be paid, included considerably a ’arger percentage of our exports than •H'A other similar range.