DAIRY PRODUCTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24716, 19 September 1941, Page 4

DAIRY PRODUCTS

THE AMERICAN MARKET DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE SURVEY OF TRADE OUTLETS (P.A.) WELLINGT^S’TpIja. An account of his to the United. States with the Minister of Lands. Mr F. E. Langstone,*‘to inquire into the possibilities of shipment to that country and Canada of surplus meat and butter and his discussions with the United Kingdom Ministries of Food. Shipping and Economic Warfare was given to the Dominion Dairy Conference in Wellington to-day by the Director of Export Marketing. Mr G. A, Duncan. The United States had been selfsupporting in its butter and cheese requirement by virtue of its colossal production, Mr Duncan said. The possibilities of the development of a market for butter were overshadowed by shipping and tariff difficulties. Endeavours werfe being made to maintain as far as no r sib'e the regular outlet' for butter to the United States and to Bermuda. Barbados. British Guiana. British Honduras, the Bahamas and Jamaica. In the present shipping conditions it was impossible to push the sale of bulW notwithstanding that oriels in the United States were nearing the point at which the present heavy duty could be absorbed. It was possible that a more favourable arrangement m io bl be made, thus opening up opportunities for trade when shipping became available. The outlook was distinctly hopeful. Prospects for Dairy Products Mr Duncan said he had visited Canada to ascertain the prosnects fo’* the shipment of butter. Assuming that the necessary shipping could be made available, he summed up the position concerning butter exports to United Stakes and Canada as follows: (1) The development of any considerable market was dependent on the securing of additional refrigerated ships. (2) In the meantime, efforts were being made to process butter into pure butter-fat. which could be carried as ordinary cargo, in an endeavour to market the New Zealand product in that form. (3) Experiments were being carried out to ascertain if butter could be successfully carried in “fruit ships," which maintained a chilled temperature. Mr Duncan said that the distribution of butter and cheese in the United Kingdom was made by the Ministry of Food through importers, wholesalers and retailers. All table butters were sold as “ national ” butter, irrespective of brands. Post-war Trade Factors which would influence the post-war market in the United Kingdom for New Zealand butter and cheese. IMr Duncan said, were: (1) The time of the ending of the war. (2) The purchasing power in the United Kingdom and the position in the United Kingdom after the war in regard to employment. (3) The British export trade position and the extent to which Great Britain could regain her export trade in manufactured goods. (4) The British food policy after the war and the position of her agriculture.

(5) The extent of the supply of butter and cheese to devastated Europe. (6) The retail prices for butter margarine, and the extent of the sales of butter which, would. be possible at varying price margins above the price of margarine. (7) The shipping situation. (8) The speed of the European recovery after the war. particularly in respect of butter production. (9) The method of post-war distribution. '