BUTTER AND CHEESE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27276, 30 December 1949, Page 6

BUTTER AND CHEESE

DISTRIBUTION IN BRITAIN

DISCUSSIONS WITH DOMINION PRODUCERS NZPA—Special Correspondent

Rec. 9.20 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 29. Discussions on matters of mutual interest relating to their business of distributing butter and cheese in the United Kingdom are to be held in New Zealand shortly between a deputation of directors of the New Zealand Produce Association, Ltd., and representatives of their associated company, the New Zealand Producers’ Co-opera-tive Association, and of dairy companies. It is also hoped that an exchange of views will take place with leaders of the dairy industry on the probable trend of developments in the trade. The deputation from the United Kingdom will be' led by Mr J. S. Paterson, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Produce Association. The other members will be Mr A. Davies, a director of the English Cooperative Wholesale Society, and Mr T. N. Maxwell, managing director of the association. They will sail in the Rangitoto on January 3. Mr Paterson is a member of the Management Committee of the Butter and Cheese Association, Ltd., whose members are responsible for the firsthand distribution of all butter and cheese throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society, of which he also is a director, conducts extensive trade in Scotland and is responsible for a quarter of the dairy produce and other rationed commodities distributed north of the Tweed. Mr Davies has an intimate knowledge of the dairy produce wholesale trade in the United Kingdom, and Mr Maxwell, who is a New Zealander, has spent the past 13 years in this country actively engaged in the marketing of New Zealand butter and cheese. He also had much to do with the buying of dairy factory equipment for the National Dairy Association of New Zealand, of which he is the London -manager. As a member of the Management Committee of the Butter and Cheese Association and as chairman of that association’s Executive Committee since its inception, Mr Maxwell has had the opportunity to follow closely all the developments that have taken place in the sale and distribution of dairy products in recent years.

Leaders of the dairy industry in Wellington to whom the above message was referred pointed out that New Zealand, having contracted to sell all its dairy exports to the British Government, discussions between New Zealanders and representatives of the distributing organisations in Britain could'not lead to any practical decisions. The distribution of produce was -controlled by the British Ministry of Food. It was suggested that the purpose of the visit was to maintain goodwill in the expectation of direct dealing between New Zealand organisations and distributing organisations m Britain being resumed when the contract runs out three years hence. The visitors would not be empowered to discuss any change in arrangements, though their Qpinions would be listened to with interest. The manager of the Dairy Association, Mr C. H. Backhouse, said Mr Maxwell and the other men were not coming to New Zealand on any business associated with the National Dairy Association, but on behalf of the New Zealand Produce Association, the distributing organisation m Britain.—PA.