PATTING OF BUTTER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21935, 19 October 1934, Page 14

PATTING OF BUTTER

EXTENSION NOT ADVOCATED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Thursday The commission's report reveals that certain aspects of marketing in the United Kingdom were investigated recently by a committee under the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr. Dealing with the patting of butter, the committee reported that this trade was negligible in the north, and increasing slowly in the south, but that the importers and wholesalers were generallv meeting such demand as existed. The ratio of patted to bulk sales would not justify the New Zealand dairying industry entering this difficult trade, and any attempt to do so would lead to antagonism on the part of the present distributors and loss of retail goodwill. In extension of the committee's report, the commission adds: "We think that the committee is on sound ground in suggesting that it is safer to leave it to the importers and wholesalers to meet the demand for New Zealand butter in packets. The fact that it is necessary to rework butter before patting it adds to tho cost; and as patted butter does not keep as well as bulk butter, a constant supervision of retailers stocks is necessary. It is better, therefore, to leave the patting of butter in the United Kingdom in the hands of the firms that are dealing with it at present. The experience of Denmark in respect of patting affords an instructive lesson. The Danish newspaper Politiken, under date July ]2, 1934, reports that the combined Danish Butter Factories' Association had had such disappointing results from the packing and sale in pats of Danish butter in England, that after a two years' experimental period it had decided to discontinue the system."