BUTTER RATIONING

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1943, Page 2

BUTTER RATIONING

Minister’s Hint

REQUEST MADE. BY BRITAIN.

WHANGAREI, May 11. “The British Government has asked that butter should be rationed m New Zealand and Australia' so that the ration of two ounces a person can be maintained in Britain,” said the Minister of Agriculture and Marketing (Mr. Barclay), when speaking at Maungatapere. “The request has come from Britain and I think the people of New Zealand will be behind the Government if it accedes to the request.. Mr. Barclay said the north had been seriously' affected by the dry spell this season, and it had caused concern to the Government. Lack of rain had brought about a reduction in dairy produce of about 9 per cent, on last year, and to a figure approximating that of 1938-39, the year before the outbreak of war. Consumption in New Zealand of butter had increased by about 1000 tons on last year and by about 2000 tons on the year before the war. The interim report showed that there was a decrease of 9.787 per cent, in butter-fat production for the nine months from August, 1942, to April, 1943, as compared with the corresponding period for the previous season. Production had been maintained splendidly in spite of war difficulties, notably in the shortage of manpower and fertiliser rationing. Mr. Barclay quoted the following figures showing the quantity of but-ter-fat received at dairy factories for manufacture into butter, cheese, condensed milk and dried milk: —193738 170,999 tons; 1938-39, 155.049 tons; 1939-40, 168,076 tons; 1940-41, 183,658 tons; 1941-42, 171,751 tons. Stocks of butter in store in the Dominion on May 1 totalled 34,000 tons, compared with 38,000 tons on the corresponding date last year, while the respective figures for cheese were 23,000 tons and 40,000 tons.

AUSTRALIAN SITUATION.

MELBOURNE, Ma'y, 13.

Federal Ministei’s would not confirm Mr. Barclay’s hint that butter rationing is possible in New Zealand and in Australia to help Britain. Mr. Scully said that butter rationing would not be introduced in Australia' unless as a result of adverse seasonal conditions and a shortage oi manpower in the dairying districts. At present milk and butter production in Australia is at its lowest ebb for a long Ume, due to a lack of ram in January, February and March.