British Dairying

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 239, 9 October 1936, Page 9

British Dairying

Butter and cheese makers of tho United Kingdom are far from satisfied with present conditions of their industry. According to the New Zealand Dairy Board's English publicity service, there is “widespread" dissatisfaction with tho working of tho English Milk Marketing Scheme, coupled with the continued improvement in tho prices of imported dairy products. These conditions indicato that when Parliament reassembles Homo farmers will be loud in their demands for a levy on all dairy imports to help them out of their present difficulties. Somerset farmers have already pointed out that whilo Dominion butter and cheese prices wero *lO per cent, up on those of last year, tho prices fixed by the English Milk Board for manufacturing milk during tho 1930-37 season were no better than those of twelve months ago." Mr Sidney Wear (chairman of the Somerset Milk Committee) is reported to have said that ho had vainly suggested to tho board that no milk should be sold to manufacturers under 6d a gallon, as compared with the actual contract price of about 3|d a gallon. Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia were sending over increased quantities of butter and cheese at guaranteed prices, irrespective of what they made in England. Restriction Proposals Organised butter and cheese makers in tho United Kingdom have submitted to the Government a scheme having for its object tho quantitative restriction of imports of dairy produce into Great Britain. The products covered by the scheme are butter, cheese, condensed milk, cream and milk powder. The scheme will bo controlled by tho Milk Marketing Board, with Mr J. H. Maggs chairman of tho provisional board. After a public inquiry into any objections that may be lodged against tho scheme, and its submission to Parliament, a separate ballot will bo taken among tho registered manufacturers of every regulated product, and it is hoped to bring the marketing scheme into operation on January 1, 1937. Tho board will havo power to fix maximum or minimum prices, or to prescribe prices for any regulated product, and may determine the persons to whom, or the agencies through which products may be sold, and the terms of sale. It may also negotiate the prices to be paid by the manufacturer for milk and other commodities used in the production of regulated products, and this is taken to mean that control will be exorcised over the prices of imported supplies to see that they bear a reasonable relation to Home prices. Regulated Outputs

When the scheme has been in operation twelve months, tho board may fix quotas for any year on the output of any manufacturer of any regulated product. This is bound to affect forward buying from overseas shippers. Agreement has been reached between the

Creamery Proprietors' Association and the Milk Marketing Board that quotas for butter and eheeso production should bo applied only after consultation with the Milk Board. Contributions payable by registered manufacturers to the board wil be determined by the milk gallonage converted into regulated products, and the levy must not exceed l-8d per gallon. Any producer who sells a regulated product otherwise than as determined by the board will be liable to a penalty of-£IOO, plus half the price at which the product was sold. It is estimated that the Milk Products Board will control the manufacture of more than 300,000,000 gallons of milk annually.