BUTTER AND CHEESE PROSPECTS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3494, 2 November 1926, Page 11

BUTTER AND CHEESE PROSPECTS

PROMISING OUTLOOK i'OR production. DOSS OP PRESTIGE AND GOODWILD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Interviewed on his return from a run through Taranaki, Auckland and Waikato dairying districts, Mr J. B. Mac Ewan, one time member of the Dairy Produce Board, said he had been much impressed, almost everywhere, by the growth o£ pastures and supplementary crops. In this respect the countryside presented a much more cheering aspect than it had done twelve months previously, when a dry autumn and a backward spring had left many of the farmers short of food and-with a rather gloomy prospect before thorn. The change naturally was reflected In the factory returns. Throughout the dairying districts, almost without exception, the butter-fat production had boon substantially increased. The result, Mr Mac Ewan had no doubt, would be a largo increase in the output of dairy produce, perhaps as much as ten or fifteen per cent, in advance of that of last year, but of course much would depend upon the. conditions prevailing for the remainder of (he season. Producers Alarmed. Mr Mac Ewan, optimist though ho is, was not disposed to predict that the increase in' the volume of produce would cover the decline in price. The market for the time being, he pointed out, was against .the producer and at the moment he saw no prospect of a material improvement. During his recent trip ho had chatted with many factory directors, as well as with other business men closely associated with dairying, and he had found them all gravely concerned by the position of the Inindustry and the .prospects ahead. The farmers felt they had reason to share, the anxiety of the business men. It would not. ho too much to say that many of them were viewing the position with positive alarm. They were receiving pay-outs which wore insufficient to meet their immediate needs and they could expect no relief in the near future. No doubt, Mr Mac Ewan continued, the economic conditions at Home, created by the coal strike and the general disturbance of trade, wore largely responsible for the producers’ troubles here, but there obviously wore other adverse influences bearing on the situation. These, had to be faced frankly without any carping criticism of blunders that could not bo repaired in a day or two. New Zealand Chief Sufferer.

It would be instructive, or at any rate suggestive, said Mr Mac Ewan, to examine for a moment the relative positions of butter prices in London during tho first week of October, 1925, and tho first week of October, 1926. This, ho thought, would show that Now Zealand butter was suffering some disadvantages apart from the unfortunate economic conditions, which had not impaired tho prices of other butters. “In 1925, ’’ for instance, “New Zealand butter was 4/6 per cwt. above Danish butter and' is now 2S/- per cwt. below; Australian was 12/- below New Zealand and is now only 2/- below; Argentinian was 42/- below New Zealand and is now only 5/- below; Irish was 20/- below New Zealand and is now only 4/bolow; Esthonian was 9/- below Now Zealand and is now on a level. Siberian was 4 5/- below New Zealand and is now only 2S/6.” The Only Explanation, 1 here could be only one explanation of tho loss of prestige by Now Zealand butter on tho London market, Mr Mac Ewan insisted. Transport on the whole had been better arranged, the Dairy Board had had abundance of money at its disposal for advertising purposes, and there had been heads enough in London to provide tho best possible service. Yet New Zealand butter had suffered more from the slump than had the butter of any of the other competing countries. Summing u,p the position Mr MacEwan was of tho opinion that the development of absolute control, and particularly the issue of most unhappy directions and even commands from tlie Dairy Board’s X,ondon office, had produced a feeling of strong resentment among the distributors at Home. There was no need to cast any reflections upon the Board’s integrity or upon its good intentions, but it was quite plain from the cable messages published by the newspapers during the last week or two. that Mr Grounds and his colleagues had failed to grasp tho delicacy of their mission and had not made allowance for the age-old traditions and observances of the Homo markets. It appeared to bo undisputed that tho London distributors were looking with strong disfavour upon Now Zealand dairy produce and giving preference to produce from other countries. If this attitude were maintained for any length of time it would mean not only an immediate heavy loss to the producers of the Dominion, but also a very grave menace to their footing in the London market.