THE DAIRY PRODUCE SEASON

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4306, 15 March 1901, Page 3

THE DAIRY PRODUCE SEASON

"FISHY” BUTTER. III'HKUCL.\i OF SUPPLY. NOTHING IN FROZEN POULTRY. .Ur Jiitiu---. Koivin, New aland reurr MMilativt! of ;i, ;ric it London product jin!! —l,ov<>n ;! ii.■ I Chri-timis. Limited- - J f.‘nv'ci.i fo.’ i’.'i.itr!;■< ll <i ■ I/-; morning by tin; aftar )iijni>i!ial seven inonllis' residence in tiic colony for the dairy produce, vc- m. IkJorc Ids di-par! tire, o-_rL'l)i-<:sc.i!:ilivo of the '•.No','/ Zealand nines'’ had ail interview with .Mr Kov.'in on Ids cxscriinos of tlio past season, :uid .Now Zi aland dairy produce lit particular. Relerring lo the rj nan I. i fcy of hnUcr nia'iidaol urod in Taranaki, with which district; Air Kowhi’s principal opera Uou,-. are connected. lie i-"e died the unforfii’latc cirenni. lance liiaf during flic first or fr,in- i ninih- 1 , of the season the except locally inc!e'n."i'. weallior rniliFiled ainin-.1. J.y in/rea:-e o; produo- ; ion. The onlpni for (lie anUimn, how. he slates, pro'si tie abnormal, and I here is now every indication that the total for the season will prove to be much greater than th" prospect of the hrsl, months of the season indicated : also that the total will .-.how a .substantial increase oyer that of last year. The same increase in the autumn production is noticeable in the Auckland districts. As a. proof of this. .Mr Kmvin instanced the, diet, that- whereas hy I h<> Aotca -- Inaetically the last final of the dairy pnidoee. season lie is sending Home tilly tons of Auckland huUer, the Auckland people had ceased shipping tiv the time the last boat of the previous sea. -sen had '-ailed.

Spunking, of the iplalily of tlio preson

.season's dairy prod'-av, Mr Kowin give* it a*; Ids cxpcnonoo i.hut while, taken

■all round, it. has been fairly satisfactory, ho eertainly considers that there has not Ix'ou any appreciable improvement. Certain factories have turned out a rather hot .or article than formerly, but others again. ivitb. a good reputation, .have been mantifaeliiriiig an inferior article. Complaints hare been made by Air Kowin’s linn in regard to “ fishinr.-:,” in n few brands of' Xeiv Zealand hotter, and, speaking of this defect. Air Koudn challenged the statement made last year hy the Produce Commissioner in Loudon to the effect that ho could only obtain live or three boxes o " lisli.v

” hatter from (bis colony. All Kov/ia showed our rejuvseidative a letter from hi-; (inu, which cuida.inod the statement that, oui 11 <_c to ihe in a- certain brand of New Zealand butter, their eii-lomers had refused to ,iccent delivery.

Speaking ol weights. Mr Kowiu B'lid ho had very little trouble in this direct ion during the past season. It wus a trouble which seldom existed, he found, when the produce was consigned, but when sold outright—-when the manufacturing company had little interest in the produce beyond the price,—short

weigths were rather common, and the unit tor, consequently, created considerable annoyance.

The question of the irregularity of the supply of our butter—the regular supply of cheese is not of so much, importance— is a. mat ter upon, which Mr Kowiu is well able to give an opinion, as his firm handles more New Zealand butter than any firm dealing with the colony's produce. Complaints as to the irregularity are common, ho says, and the effect on the butter is decidedly prejudicial. lii cases where the butter is sold “ to arrive, ” on a falling mar ket, the buyer, ho points out, naturally refuses to accept delivery. On a rising market, the butter, of course, is generally held, in which case the delay in arrival does not affect the trade to such an, extent, although- custom may be lost by the -agents not being able to maintain a continuity of supply. Tire question ,of a regular supply, Mr Kowiu says, is cue of the gravest moment, for it is a mistake to suppose that Loudon is clamouring for our produce.

If Now Zoakuul buttor docs not arrive in time, other buttor is immediately bought to Lake its place, and in many eases snatches away a valuable connection from our produce, which is consequently forced to occupy the position of a. stop-gap. '.An irregular source of supply is always less valuable than a regular one, on.d for this reason New Zealand butter suffers considerably in comparison with Australian, the shipments of which are delivered with the greatest regularity-—arriving by regtdar mail fit earners every week. In the case of New Zealand liners one may take forty days and another fifty on the voyage between the colony and London. Prices, Mr Kowin says, have ruled well, and kept up in a very satisfactory manner during the past season, duo to the sever© weather in Europe and to the healthy condition of trade in the Old Country. The working classes at Homo have had an unprecedentedly prosperous time. They have been making good money, and spending it accordingly. Those companies which consigned this .season can now congratulate themselves that they did so, Mr Kowin thinks. The present is one of those seasons, he says, which shows the fallacy of selling. Some of the largqr factories have, our visitor thinks, lost ,tnn.«y thousands) of pounds by having sold outright at the commencement of I the season, instead of consigning their produce. The London poultry trade is a subject upon which Mr Kowin is an admitted authority—being known a.s a leading poulterer in the metropolis for a gross many years—and his opinion on the prospects of our trade ,with London in frozen poultry may be taken as of consider:',bio value. A few years ago-, Mr Kowin says-, the Loudon trade relied entirely upon the English supply, and the difference between the price in season ;ind out of season was enormous; that is to say, for fowls which could bo bought in the mouths of October and November for Is Oil. in May up to Os would have to be given. That state of things has, however, been coin- I plctely upset by the influx of poultry hum Russi-i (principally Southern Ki.s-l sia), Transylvania, Canada., and the Unit- i eel Stalls, with a limited quantity from! Australia. This has had the effect of | bringing down the -price of poultry in 1 London to a practically uniform 'rate! throughout the year. It will thus bo scon that the fancy prices which ruled I in (lie nast cannot bo expected for New 1 Zealand consignments. Such prices will never, Mr rule again. While I saying this, Mr Kowin believes that the production of laying and table strains is of the greatest importance, for New Zealand does not'by any means supply, at present, its own requirements. .*