EXPORT OF BUTTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8412, 24 April 1913, Page 2

EXPORT OF BUTTER

The “New Zealand Herald” of Tuesday says: 'Tho export season for butter from tho Auckland province is drawing rapidly to a close. By the Maheno, which sailed last evening. 375 cwt of .butter, valued at £4237 10s, f.0.b., Auckland, was taken for transhipment to the South African market. This brings the total exported to South Africa this season to 530 cwt, compared with 198£cwt last season. Only 113 cwt of butter, valued at £7OO, f.o.b. Auckland, is available for iho Loudon market tor the fortnight ending on Thursday, This quantity is to be takcu by tho Corinna to « ellington on Saturday, and transhipped to tho steamer Rotorua, which loaves for London shortly. Those quantities bring the total or blitter exported this season from the province to His,l2oJewt, compared with 143,545Jcwt for the corresponding period of last season, an increase of a little over 15 per cent. Usually a marked, but gradual, falling off in the supplies of butter available for export is noticeable in April, but the drop this year has been sudden, owing to the continued spell of dry weather, which has caused many of the factories to close down earlier than in previous years. Suppliers of milk for tho same reason are limited, and even for ordinary household purposes milk is difficult to obtain in any quantity. In fact the present shortage is almost unprecedented in Auckland. If the conditions had been favourable for dairying during the past two or three months tho export of butter would have been far greater and ample quantities would have been stored for local uso without any difficulty. Now, however, it will take the factories all their time to store sufficient for tho winter months. The cheese to bo taken by tho Rotorua totals 250 crates, and brings the total exported for tho season to 87G6 crates, compared with 9130 crates for the corresponding period of last season.